Columbus Has No Offseason
Columbus is a bona fide year-round sports destination. We have no offseason and like it that way.
Our city’s professional sports teams can certainly attest to that mantra. Regardless of the time of year, our local sports scene continues to defy all odds and prove why Columbus has a powerful sports community. Whether it’s the Columbus Crew SC hosting the MLS Cup, the 10th Governor’s Cup win for the Columbus Clippers, Brandon Saad of the Columbus Blue Jackets selection to the 2016 All-Star Game or the presence of a variety of other professional teams, including The Ohio Machine, the state’s only Major League Lacrosse team, Professional Rugby Organization’s Ohio Aviators and Women’s Professional Soccer League’s Columbus Eagles that complete the year-round sports in central Ohio.
In addition to the local sports scene, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission’s vision to transform Columbus into one of the world’s best sports destinations has booked 386 new sporting events for the Columbus Region, generating an estimated $402 million in visitor spending since 2002. Those millions of dollars are invested in our city, improving the quality of life for our community and generating economic growth.
We’ve seen growth not only in the number of high profile events brought to Columbus, but also in our collaborations with local sports organizations. The OhioHealth Capital City Half Marathon and USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championships are prime examples of that teamwork. And when the Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar was hosted in Columbus, we were honored to work alongside the Columbus Clippers to make that event a success.
The NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Semifinals at Capital University this March kicked off three consecutive years of championship women’s basketball in Columbus. Division II Elite Eight will be hosted at Ohio Dominican University in 2017 followed by the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2018 at Nationwide Arena. This series of women’s basketball championships is monumental for the city as we continue to shine a light on the impact and importance of women and girls sports in Columbus.
Speaking of women’s sports, for the past year we’ve been preparing to host the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship December 15 and 17, which will bring an estimated $10 million in visitor spending to the city. That also includes over 2,000 coaches from around the U.S. who will come to Columbus for the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) annual convention.
We can say with confidence that the future of our sports community is bright and that our local sports scene will continue to prove why Columbus has no offseason.
About the Author: Jenn Cartmille, CTA joined the Greater Columbus Sports Commission team as Marketing Manager in the summer of 2015. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s in Strategic Communication, she knew from the moment she received her diploma that Columbus would be her forever home. Jenn is an experienced marketing professional who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) from West Virginia University.
