Home » Louisville nabs hoops tournaments; economic impact over five years projected at $38.5M

Louisville nabs hoops tournaments; economic impact over five years projected at $38.5M

Will be held at Kentucky Exposition Center

runfortheroseLOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 15, 2016) — The Kentucky Exposition Center will host two major girls basketball tournaments over the next five years, Run for the Roses and Battle in the Boro. About 1,000 teams competed in the two events this year in Nashville. The tournaments are projected to bring 17,000 people annually to Louisville, resulting in an estimated $38.5 million in economic impact over the five years.

The contracts were signed by the Kentucky State Fair Board and Louisville Sports Commission and announced today at Kentucky Hoopfest. Run for the Roses is scheduled from July 5–8, 2017 and Battle in the Boro from July 10–13, 2017.

“It’s wonderful news for Louisville and Kentucky that two youth-focused basketball events have decided to move their tournaments here for the next five years,” said Greg Fante, vice president of sports development for the Louisville Sports Commission. “These events will add to our already-strong reputation as a successful sports tourism destination and will encourage youth to be active and do more than sit on the sidelines. We’re excited to partner with such outstanding organizations as the Kentucky State Fair Board and Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau in making today’s announcement.”

The Kentucky Exposition Center hosts around 30 youth sporting events annually, including volleyball, archery and cheer and dance, bringing in more than 100,000 youth sports participants and attendees every year, said Dr. Mark Lynn, chair of the Kentucky State Fair Board. “The Kentucky Exposition Center is ideal for these types of youth tournaments. Organizers appreciate the security of the self-contained campus with everything under one roof.”