PHOENIX — Phoenix’s first NCAA Women’s Final Four generated $71.5 million in economic impact for Arizona, according to an Arizona State University study released Wednesday, Arizona Sports reported.
The study by ASU’s Seidman Research Institute found the April event brought 27,330 out-of-state visitors, who stayed an average of 4.08 nights and spent about $220.64 per person per day.
The three games at Mortgage Matchup Center, home of the Suns and Mercury, drew 29,811 fans, including 15,856 for the title game, which UCLA won over South Carolina on April 5 for its first national championship. Worldwide viewership was 9.9 million.
The study also credited the event with supporting 426 jobs, $24 million in labor income, $4 million in tax revenue and $42.2 million in gross domestic product, Arizona Sports reported.
Fan events were popular too: 35,036 people attended Four It All Fest downtown, 26,610 visited Tourney Town at the Phoenix Convention Center and 10,212 went to the Super Saturday Concert at Hance Park.
Gov. Katie Hobbs called major events like the Women’s Final Four “powerful drivers of tourism and economic growth.” Phoenix is a finalist to host the event again between 2032 and 2036.
Sources: Arizona Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Wikideas1 / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
