DAILY DOUBLE: ST. LOUIS SITE OF NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WOMEN’S FROZEN FOUR THIS WEEKEND

EVENTS WILL BRING 20,000 VISITORS, MILLIONS IN DIRECT SPENDING AND TAX REVENUE
FOR THE REGION AND STATE

MARKS FIRST TIME REGION HOSTS TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS SIMULTANEOUSLY

ST. LOUIS – March 16, 2017 – For St. Louis, the madness of March is manifested in something it has never done before: host two NCAA championships at the same time. The region accomplishes that unique feat this weekend as it produces the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four. The Wrestling Championships take place today through Saturday at Scottrade Center and the Women’s Frozen Four runs Friday and Sunday at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

“This is a special weekend for sports in St. Louis and for our entire area,” said St. Louis Sports Commission President Frank Viverito. “I hope our region appreciates how meaningful it is to host these championships – not just because of their economic value, but also because of the excitement they bring to our community and the opportunity they present for St. Louisans to see student-athletes compete at the highest level.

“It’s also important to acknowledge the NCAA for its faith in St. Louis to deliver a fabulous experience for two championships going on simultaneously. We’re grateful for the support from our partners and co-hosts – the University of Missouri and Scottrade Center for Wrestling, and Lindenwood University and the Family Arena for the Frozen Four. Together, we look forward to taking on the challenge.

This marks the eighth time since 2000 that St. Louis is hosting the Division I Wrestling Championships. In that time, no city comes close to hosting the event with such frequency. St. Louis holds the tournament’s all-time total attendance record (113,013 set in 2015). Three of the top five highest-attended Wrestling Championships took place in the Gateway City.

Over the years, St. Louis has been recognized throughout college wrestling as a premier site for the national championship. Its local organizing committee has been lauded for its dedication, passion and innovation – elements that have helped grow the event.

And St. Louis has been rewarded for that success. The eight Wrestling Championships in St. Louis have created nearly $100 million in direct visitor spending. Based on an economic impact analysis of the 2015 Championships in St. Louis, the 2017 event is projected to generate the following:

More than 19,000 visitors – including more than 18,000 visiting fans and another 1,100-plus wrestlers, coaches, support staff, media and officials. The 2015 study found that 97 percent of the fans attending the Wrestling Championship were from outside the St. Louis metro area and 91 percent were from outside Missouri. The Wrestling Championships is the most visitor-intensive sporting event hosted by St. Louis.
Between $13 million and $15 million in direct visitor spending. The 2015 study found NCAA Wrestling fans spent an average of $200 per day. Their average length of stay was 3.9 days.
Approximately $800,000 in sales and hotel tax revenue for the City of St. Louis.
More than $550,000 in tax revenue for the State of Missouri.
Approximately 30,000 hotel room nights.

On top of the Wrestling Championships’ numbers, the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four is anticipated to attract another 1,500 visitors and nearly $1 million in direct visitor spending. The region also will receive significant national television exposure with the Wrestling Championships airing on ESPN and the Women’s Frozen Four title game broadcast on Big Ten Network.

This is the first time the region is hosting the Women’s Frozen Four. St. Louis previously hosted the Men’s Frozen Four in 1975 and 2007.

TICKET INFORMATION:

While all-session tickets have sold out for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, a small number of single-session tickets remain available for the medal round matches on Saturday morning and the finals Saturday night. The morning session begins at 10 a.m.; the finals start at 7 p.m. and are preceded by the Parade of All-Americans at 6:35 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and the Scottrade Center box office.

All-session and single-session tickets are available for the Women’s Frozen Four. On Friday, Wisconsin and Boston College face off in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. Clarkson and Minnesota meet in the second semifinal at 8 p.m. The championship game is at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available through MetroTix and the Family Arena box office.