San Antonio Sports has topped ONE BILLION dollars in economic impact generated by premier events it has hosted with its partners: the City of San Antonio, Visit San Antonio, Bexar County and host institutions (UTSA, University of the Incarnate Word). Over 38 years, the nonprofit sports commission has put on sporting events that have made a positive impact locally and established the Alamo City as an international sports destination.
Shortly after forming in 1984, the organization was awarded the 1989 Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games, a multi-sport event with 5,200 participants, a crowd of 14,200 and direct visitor expenditure of $6 million to the city. After creation of new facilities, including the Alamodome, San Antonio was selected to host the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival which put the city on the global stage.
Since then, San Antonio Sports has hosted 130 major events, including four NCAA® Men’s Final Four® championships, three Women’s Final Fours, multiple USA Swimming and U.S. Masters Swimming championships, two NCAA DI Women’s Volleyball Championships, Fed Cup Tennis, national team soccer friendlies, and since 2008, the annual Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon. Each of these has contributed millions of dollars in economic impact.
“In 2003, San Antonio Sports led a legislative effort to secure state funding through the Major Events Trust Fund and it was a game-changer,” said Russ Bookbinder, President & CEO, San Antonio Sports. The Trust Fund assists Texas communities with paying costs related to preparing for or conducting an event by depositing projected gains in various local and state taxes generated from the event in a dedicated event-specific trust fund to cover allowable expenses. “As San Antonio Sports celebrates its 39th anniversary in 2023, we will continue to be an active and influential organization and generate millions in visitor spending for the Alamo City.”
“San Antonio Sports is an economic driver for our city, and the numbers prove it,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “The organization is the engine that powers our community’s efforts to land major sporting events that deliver millions of visitors to our door – visitors who stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants Just as importantly, San Antonio Sports has given our residents opportunities to volunteer and many memorable experiences.”
Future San Antonio Sports events include another NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2025, and later this year, the All American Tennis Cup, November 11-13, and Under Armour Flag Football Championship, December 27-30.
“Our visitor and events industry is continuously giving back to the community, and San Antonio Sports’ amazing $1 billion economic impact is further proof of that fact,” said Marc Anderson, President & CEO of Visit San Antonio. “Visit San Antonio and San Antonio Sports work closely together on many of the major events – such as the NCAA basketball tournaments and the recent L’Etape San Antonio by Tour de France – so we can attest firsthand to the incredible work they do and to the positive impact produced for the Alamo City.”