Sacramento's as-yet-unbuilt soccer stadium in the Railyards has already been booked for two major events. Mike Testa, CEO Of Visit Sacramento, chatted with CapRadio’s Ed Fletcher about who the stadium will be hosting and what it means to the local economy.
Interview Highlights
On who the soccer stadium will be hosting
So we had an announcement from the NCAA today of the sporting events that are awarded to Sacramento over the next few years. And for the first time, we are going to host soccer, not only men's semifinals and finals soccer ... but also the women as well. So obviously not something we could pursue without a soccer stadium. So we're excited to bring soccer to Sacramento on a college level.
On other sporting events slated to come to Sacramento
We lost March Madness this year, unfortunately, with coronavirus, but we are bringing it back in 2023. And not only are the men coming, but the women are coming as well as the first time we've hosted women's basketball in over a decade. So great to bring them back. Hosting cross-country championships at Haggin Oaks and then outdoor National Regional Championships at Sac State for track and Field. So a lot of NCAA events coming to Sacramento.
On what these big sporting events mean to the local economy
You know, things like March Madness bring in not only the visiting teams ... but fans as well. So from a hotel room night standpoint, it consumes thousands of hotel rooms. And you look at all these events combined … and it's tens of millions of dollars in economic impact to this economy with spending at hotels, restaurants and, you know, everything that you spend money on when you go out of town.
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