Sports Tourism and the Triangle

Ever wonder whether all the traffic and hoopla surrounding sporting events in the Triangle is worth the trouble?  A report released on May 12, shows that the recent NCAA sub-regional in Raleigh brought $4.6 million dollars into the Triangle economy according to Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

The Triangle region of North Carolina is home to numerous colleges and universities with sports teams which excel in and are national leaders in most sports offered at the collegiate level.  The Triangle also supports and hosts events for numerous Olympic sports including hosting Olympic qualifying events in Rugby and Table Tennis.  Cary proudly bears the designation of being a “NCAA Championship City” and lives up to that designation by hosting the Division II Baseball Championships and regularly hosting ACC and NCAA Soccer Championships at the Wake Med Soccer Park.

The Triangle is home to numerous professional teams with the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, the Durham Bulls – the AAA affiliate for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Carolina Mudcats – a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and the Carolina Railhawks.  The Railhawks owner, Steve Malik is working hard to elevate the Railhawks franchise which is a North American Soccer League team.

This article could go on and on and on with the economic impact of sports, whether professional or amateur, on the local economy.  Nan Hannah, a partner with Hannah Sheridan Loughridge & Cochran is a member of the Raleigh Sports Council and a long-time volunteer leader with the Triangle Sport Commission.  This involvement arose out of a love of all things sports, but has developed into a passion for helping the Triangle region recognize the economic titan that is our sports tourism economy.