Basketball has led all team sports in total participation for many years, with a three-year increase of 7.1 percent, according to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Associationís 2024 Participation Report. The sportís 2023 total of 29.7 million U.S. participants ages 6 and up is an increase of 5.6 percent from the year before and nearly 20 percent from 2019, and it is well ahead of participation totals in all other team sports measured by the SFIA (baseball is a distant second with 16.7 million U.S. participants).
All this means that basketball continues to be popular for players of all ages, and especially youth. And with that, basketball facilities continue to improve and grow throughout the country.
Overland Park, Kansas: AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk
The AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk, which recently opened in Overland Park, Kansas, is a 420,000-square-foot indoor sports and entertainment complex, offering flexible spaces that can accommodate many sports, including basketball. The facility offers eight basketball courts, and the fieldhouse can convert to a championship arena that seats 3,200 fans. Additionally, there are six locker rooms for players, two locker rooms for officials, and a sports performance training facility.
“We just opened in October 2024,” says Hannah Smith of AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk. “That said, we already have several basketball tournaments booked.” Among tournaments expected at the sports park are PUMA Basketball, bringing 100 teams and 1,400 players; Adidas Basketball with 110 teams and 1,100 players; and the MAYB Girls’ National Tournament, with 64 teams and 640 participants.
Off the court, AdventHealth Sports Park has Hawk’s Outpost, a family entertainment center that features arcade games, bowling, laser tag, esports, sports simulators, a virtual reality dark ride, a roll glider and other attractions. There are also in-house dining options, including a quick-service café and a bar and grill. Phase two of the project will add another restaurant. AdventHealth Sports Park is located 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City.
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
In eastern Missouri, Cape Girardeau lies on the Mississippi River about 120 miles south of St. Louis and is an area rich in both history and more modern pursuits, including facilities available for sporting events. For basketball, the city offers the Cape Girardeau Sportsplex, featuring six full-size courts all under one roof, with bleacher seating around each court (and additional seating available in some areas.) Amenities include a concession stand, meeting and lounge spaces, state-of-the-art scoreboards and PA system and plenty of parking, along with ADA accessibility.
The city also has the Show-Me Center, with one main competition court boasting about 7,000 seats, making it ideal for larger tournaments and championship games. Amenities include full concessions and catering options, high-quality audio and video systems, locker rooms and onsite parking.
Among the larger basketball events the city has hosted recently and will host again is the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament, which has brought in 192 players and about 15,000 spectators. Cape Girardeau also hosts 10 tournaments as part of the Reebok Tournament Series, with a total of about 700 players and 10,000 spectators.
“Our team does a good job connecting with tournament owners to successfully create an event that is beneficial for all involved, from the attendees to the community,” says Joshua Robison with Visit Cape. “We can offer event owners funding and assist with room block proposals from our area hotels. Also, we offer information about area attractions and restaurants for the tournament attendees.”
Greensboro, North Carolina
“Our team in Greensboro loves working with basketball organizers from around the country to create a successful event in our area of North Carolina,” says Caleb Wilson, the Sports Sales Manager for the Greensboro Area CVB. “With our great venues, attention to service, and an area highly concentrated with quality youth and collegiate teams, organizers find their events in Greensboro to be a win for everyone in attendance.”
Among venues available for youth basketball is the Greensboro Sportsplex, with eight hardwood courts, bleacher seating for spectators, permanent concessions and onsite parking. The Greensboro Complex Special Events Center is an exhibit-hall style venue on site at the major Greensboro Complex, which is home to the 22,000-seat First Horizon Coliseum, among other entertainment venues. The Special Events Center also has enough Sport Court, goals and scoreboards to accommodate eight basketball courts.
For collegiate events, the First Horizon Coliseum at the Greensboro Complex has been home to a variety of elite college basketball events, including the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament for 25 out of the last 26 years. It has also hosted the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament eight times since 2010 and has been home to various NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournament sites, most recently in 2022 (Women’s) and 2023 (Men’s).
Wilson says the CVB can help tournament owners with hotel sourcing and with connecting events to a volunteer database through the Greensboro Sports Foundation. The CVB also can assist with social media promotions, visitor information, potential event sponsorships and more.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
With multiple venues across Calcasieu Parish in Southwest Louisiana, the Lake Charles area is a go-to location for sporting events. For basketball, there are several venues that can accommodate tournaments and events, including many high school facilities with multi-use gyms featuring two or more courts, seating for hundreds, concessions, locker rooms and more.
In the heart of downtown is the recently renovated Lake Charles Event Center, with a sweeping view of the lake. Within the Event Center is the James E. Sudduth Coliseum, with flexible seating for nearly 7,500 spectators and able to easily accommodate basketball and other events. There is plenty of parking, and concessions stands are available.
The Lake Charles Multi Sports Complex has two regulation-size gyms that can be set up for basketball tournaments. The complex also includes a weight room, two activity rooms, walking track, two concessions areas, four dressing rooms/locker rooms and administrative offices.
The Burton Coliseum is a domed arena that has hosted the semifinals and finals of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s boys’ basketball state tournaments. The coliseum has a total seating capacity of about 8,400, parking for 3,500 cars, concessions and locker rooms available. The McNeese Legacy Center is a $40 million complex that is home to the McNeese State University men’s and women’s basketball programs, with an arena that seats 4,200.
In the city of Sulphur, the Sulphur Parks & Recreation Indoor/Aquatic Center offers two basketball courts with a seating capacity of 1,000 spectators and plenty of parking. Also in Sulphur, the Frasch Park Multi-Sport Facility has an indoor gymnasium available, along with three outdoor basketball courts. And in Westlake, the Multi-Purpose Complex has two indoor courts, one outdoor court, concessions, lockers and more.
“Tourism thrives when it’s rooted in the local community,” says Kyle Edmiston, the president and CEO of Visit Lake Charles. “By showcasing unique experiences like our family-friendly events, we keep our community informed and strengthen the bond between residents and visitors.”
Legends Event Center, Bryan, Texas
The Legends Event Center is a new, world-class 120,000-square-foot facility in Bryan, Texas, which welcomes athletes of all skill levels, and is quickly becoming the new hub for basketball in the state and beyond.
The facility offers eight basketball courts, but also has space available for meetings, conferences and more. Off the court, Legends Event Center has a host of activities in its Gaming Arena, which offers a state-of-the-art arcade. There’s a virtual reality station that can accommodate up to six players at once, and the Esports Lounge has 18 high-end esports computers and monitors and many popular games that cater to both single-player and multi-player sessions. Recently, Legends Event Center was the site of the Adidas 3SSB Spring Series, named one of Sports Destination Management’s Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism.
The city of Bryan has a historic downtown area and many other activities for families, including the Aggieland Safari, a thriving arts scene, top-rated restaurants, eclectic boutiques and antique shops and much more. Bryan is located right in the heart of the “Texas Triangle,” less than a three hour drive from Dallas to the north, Houston to the southeast and Austin to the southwest.
Lincoln, Nebraska
“Lincoln’s basketball presence has increased dramatically in the last decade,” notes Derek Bombeck, Director of Sports for Visit Lincoln. “With the additions of Pinnacle Bank Arena and now the Kinetic Sports Complex and Speedway Village, we can host high-end youth competitions or professional and NCAA level events. It’s our goal to make each event feel at home while they are in Lincoln. Why get lost as ‘just another event’ in a large city when you can come to Lincoln as ‘The Event.’”
In addition to the Pinnacle Bank Arena, which offers a 16,000-seat arena, and the Bob Devaney Sports Center, with an 8,000-seat arena, both the Kinetic Sports Complex and Speedway Village each offer eight basketball courts, complete with portable bleachers throughout the venue.
Lincoln played host to the 2023/2024 NXT Pro Basketball Tournament, which brought 750 high school boys’ teams from 41 states into town. Among other events, the city also has hosted NBA preseason games, the 2021 Recruit Look Hoops (a 100-plus team youth event), NSAA Boys & Girls Basketball Championships, Harlem Globe Trotters, Mid America Home School Hoops Classic (with more than 100 youth teams) and more. It also hosts many Supreme Court Basketball Club competitions, which also can attract more than 100 teams per event. In April, Lincoln will its first NXT Girls basketball event.
The Lincoln CVB can provide assistance in many ways, including with welcome bags, printed name badges/registration assistance, customized welcome banners, help with facility discounts, marketing and promotion on the city’s website and with local radio/TV stations.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The 100,000-square-foot John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center is the main indoor facility in Myrtle Beach, capable of accommodating up to eight basketball courts on its wood floor surface.
The facility has flexible seating for up to 2,500 and offers several meeting and team rooms. Additional facilities along the Grand Strand include the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center in North Myrtle Beach with two basketball courts, along with various high school and recreation center gyms. The J. Bryan Floyd center was recently updated with state-of-the-art LED lighting and a full floor refinishing.
For collegiate events, the convention and visitors bureau has partnered with Coastal Carolina University and the HTC Center. As home court for both the men’s and women’s Chanticleer basketball teams, the HTC Center has seating for 3,400, features six locker rooms, hospitality areas and video boards.
The Myrtle Beach Convention Center annually hosts the Beach Ball Classic, a high school basketball tournament held in Myrtle Beach for the past 44 years. With basketball games all held on a wood floor, the facility can bring in seating for up to 5,000 spectators.
“Youth basketball is one of the main sports tourism drivers for Myrtle Beach,” says Jonathan Paris, Executive Director of Sports Tourism for Visit Myrtle Beach. “Each year, we host several events with National Travel Basketball Association (NTBA), including their girls’ and boys’ championships. Those two events alone bring in over 600 teams. Additional NTBA events held throughout the season bring in another 350 teams. We also partner with Big Shots and host several of their NCAA Certified events bringing in an additional 400 teams.”
Off the court, there is a wide array of options for families and participants while in town for their events. “We have over 2,000 restaurants of various cuisine and price points along with great attractions and terrific shopping. And that’s not even mentioning our 60 miles of sandy beaches and the warm Atlantic Ocean,” adds Paris. SDM
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