By Matt Swenson
Coming out of the pandemic, the Delaware Tourism Office decided to take a big swing at sports tourism. But while Delaware may be the First State, it was not the fastest out of the gate to target the industry estimated to be worth $52.2 billion in the United States.
DTO’s Sports Sales Leader Ryan Wolfe, who took the position six months prior to COVID, discovered Delaware’s small size was not necessarily a disadvantage, but it needed financial support like what’s offered in nearby destinations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. So, Wolf made a pitch to Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office, that would utilize hotel occupancy tax funds as a source for financial assistance to planners eyeing the state.
In its first year, the program known as TEAMS (not related to the sports industry conference) received 43 applications from event owners representing 14 unique sports. Of the applicants, 24 were awarded a total of $500,000. Planners use the funds for marketing, equipment rentals, and other logistical needs. The payoff was worth it. Those competitions brought in an estimated economic impact of $75 million to the state, including over 20,000 hotel room nights and 180,000 attendees.
“Programs like TEAMS help us attract bigger, bolder events that bring fans, athletes, and media from all over the country,” says Wolfe. “ By backing exciting new events and helping our established tournaments level up, we’re fueling big economic wins and putting Delaware in the spotlight in the sports scene.”
High Stakes
The power of sports tourism is undeniable. In 2024, Delaware conducted its first study of the industry’s impact. It found the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact of $257.9 million generated $403.2 million in total business sales in the local economy. That, in turn, supported 3,075 part-time and full-time jobs and generated $20.2 million in state and local taxes.
Such success stories are typical throughout the country. Less common, however, is the support conventions and visitors bureaus (CVBs), sports commissions, and statewide tourism bodies receive to attract valuable events. It can very much feel like a case of the haves and have-nots, with sports tourism sales members and venue operators without financial assistance grants starting out behind the proverbial eight-ball.
There are high stakes for attracting tournaments. Beyond the games, athletes and their families eat at restaurants, shop in area retail outlets, and fill hotel rooms. Not only is there the immediate economic impact, but destinations benefit from exposure to out-of-town visitors who may return for non-sports driven vacation and, in certain cases, the media exposure resulting from tournaments.b
While the specifics on funding vary for destinations with access to financial incentive programs, the money typically comes through hotel tax revenue or from the state legislature.
Government-funded programs typically have a larger pot, but they are subject to major budget negotiations and administrative changes. Hotel tax revenue is ongoing as long as groups continue to bring their business to a destination. As a result, the incentives can be offered on a rolling basis, which adds flexibility to organizers as they evaluate RFPs.
Here is a sample of what’s available to sports planners seeking financial assistance for future events.
Delaware
TEAMS is specific toward attracting new sporting events to Delaware, which benefits from its small size due to efficiency. “It’s one-stop shopping with me,” says Wolfe. “We are small, but we can get things done pretty quick.”
The state’s top facilities include the 12-field DE Turf Sports Complex in Frederica; The Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington; the 14-field Kirkwood Sports in New Castle, and Sandhill Fields in Georgetown (near Rehoboth Beach).
Wolfe vets all applicants through research and generates an estimated economic impact that gives the event a score. Once the tournament is complete and numbers are finalized, payment is processed to the organizers.
The program helped attract Elite Tournaments, a renowned Maryland-based sports event company primarily known for soccer that’s expanded into lacrosse. Caitlin Schmelz, vice president of lacrosse, says the symbolism of the financial support played as much of a role as the money in taking the IWLCA Capital Cup to DE Turf Sports Complex. “The financial assistance through their grant program gave us the confidence to commit, knowing that both our immediate needs and long-term growth would be supported,” she says.
Illinois
Sports tourism has a powerful ally in Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who championed a plan in 2024 allotting $15 million to attract tournaments and competitions through Jan. 2029. As a testament to the program’s popularity, all of that money is already spoken for, according to Greg Mihalich of the Illinois Office of Tourism and member of Sports Illinois, the statewide sports marketing organization. The legislature will have to decide to renew the plan in 2029.
Sports events play an outsized role in the state’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), but the grants can also be awarded to trade shows and conferences. There are two ways to be eligible for the funds:
- The event in question can’t have been held in Illinois in the past year and the state is in direct competition with other destinations to win.
- The event was most recently held in Illinois but is up for bid and considering other locations.
Organizers must show proof of competition and go through the local CVB or sports commission, which then reaches out to the statewide entity. Events held outside of Chicago have to generate at least 300 room nights; those in the Windy City need to generate 5,000 room nights.
Indiana
One of the original sports commissions, the Indiana Sports Corporation is no stranger to attracting large events to complement its array of mainstays like the Indy 500. To bolster those efforts, the state legislature enacted the statewide sports and tourism bid fund, which provides up to $5 million annually. Of that pool, 70% can be allocated toward attracting tournaments in central Indiana (ie, Indianapolis) and the remainder must be dispersed elsewhere—Hamilton County (home of Grand Park Sports Campus), Fort Wayne, and South Bend are among the beneficiaries of those funds.
Applicants work with the local CVBs and address how the money can be used. Of note, if an event has been secured but requires additions to an existing facility (a new bathroom, moveable bleachers, and portable pickleball courts are examples), the funds can be used for those improvements. However, the incentive can’t be used for capital improvements prior to an event signing a contract to play in the Hoosier State.
Among the recent events to be drawn by the incentives is the 2025 Motocross of Nations in October at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville.
Maryland
Rights holders start the ball rolling on attaining grants in Maryland through the RFP process with host CVBs like Visit Baltimore and Visit Annapolis. From there, the staff tracks down the event’s track record and submits the request to the Maryland Sports Commission, led by longtime Executive Director Terry Hasseltine.
New statistics show that the commission played a role in hosting and supporting more than 50 major sporting events across the state in Fiscal Year 2025, generating an estimated $277.3 million in direct business sales and welcoming more than 595,793 attendees. The events supported 37,115 jobs in hospitality, retail and event management industries, and contributed $18,239,346 in total state tax revenue, according to Maryland Sports.
The Maryland Sports Youth and Amateur Sports Grant and Michael Erin Busch Fund were passed in the wake of the pandemic to reintroduce the state to planners. Funding from these programs typically ranges from $2,500 to $75,000 for youth and amateur competitions and supports major international events through the Major Events Fund.
Hasseltine credits the funds for attracting Turf Wars(kickball) and theScripps National SpellingBee, held in National Harbour in Prince George’s County.
Metrics are not just based on room nights, and also factor in media exposure, legacy programming and growing specific sports. “The economic impact is impressive, but the real story is the community impact,” Hasseltine says. “We are proud of how these events have brought people together, created jobs and showcased the best of Maryland to the world.”
South Carolina
The Palmetto State’s Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism launched its Sports Tourism Advertising and Recruitment (STAR) grant in 2015, but it didn’t reach its full potential until the COVID pandemic, according to Justin E. Hancock, the department’s director of recreation, grants, and policy.
South Carolina was among the first states to open up from lockdown, making it a highly sought-after destination. In its first year of the program, the state awarded $168,000. In an odd twist, that figure dropped in 2018 to $111,000 spread across three grants. Awards started multiplying in 2020.
The recreation department has a recurring line item out of the state’s general fund, so the grant is protected from any potential political debate on the budget. It’s already maxed out at $500,000 for next year, according to Hancock, who hopes to gain additional funding.
“My goal at the end of any given year is to go broke,” he says.
The US Quidditch Cup (now US Quadball) in Columbia in 2016 was an early awardee. Others taking advantage are Bassmaster Fishing and USA BMX (the state has two premier facilities). Two events in Myrtle Beach benefiting from the funds are the World’s Strongest Man and theMyrtle Beach Bowl.
Importantly, the surge in applicants represented a wide variety of types of sporting events and expanded South Carolina’s sports tourism pool beyond the usual suspects of Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and Rock Hill. Anderson—a fishing hub—now regularly takes advantage of the grants, as does Spartanburg and Beaufort.
Grants are capped at $50,000 per event and the competition must be considered new to the state. After a tournament has been held three consecutive years in South Carolina, it is no longer eligible for those funds. Rights holders go through CVBs for the application process before the recreation department signs off. Payment is delivered after the event has been held and a report on the economic impact has been generated.
Virginia
Virginia handles its sports grants differently than much of the country in that the local CVBs run the entire process. Richmond Region Tourism and Visit Virginia Beach are two sports tourism powerhouses that use incentives to attract events, and Visit Loudoun is active as well.
Richmond Region Tourism purposely expands its criteria for awarding incentives beyond traditional room rights. “We try to be a little bit more intentional and strategic,” says Danny Bonifas, the CVB’s director of sports and events. “It’s really just based on conversations with a respective rights holder if there are any financial pain points.”
The goal, he says, is to enhance the event experience for athletes and their families, so money could go toward an activation. Funding is generated out of the area’s hotel tax revenue. The 2026 MCLA National Lacrosse Championship at River City Sportsplex is an example of an event attracted by the grant, notes Bonifas.
The Virginia Beach Sports Tourism Grant provides up to $10,000 in funding to help cover major event expenses such as marketing and promotion, technical production, site rentals, insurance, and security. Events must occur over at least a two-day period. The Virginia Beach CVB says that the qualification encouraged a soccer tournament that was a one-day event for 300 athletes in 2021 to grow to a two-day competition hosting more than 2,000 athletes.
Visit Loudoun’s Sports Tournament Reimbursement Grant program dates back to 2006 and is still going strong in the Northern Virginia exurb. Applications are reviewed by a volunteer committee of marketing and business professionals who are not directly related to the applicants. The Visit Loudoun Board of Directors votes on the committee’s recommendations to determine funding, which is generated from the county’s restricted Transient Occupancy Tax.
The grants are not only self-funded but have provided a return on investment of $18 for every $1 spent over the past five years, according to Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson.
Since 2016, Visit Loudoun has awarded $466,627 for events to taling 70,999 room nights and $9,502,660 in direct spending. USSSA Class C National Championships are a prime example of the grant at work. It began in the county in 2017 with 1,000 roomnights and roughly 75 teams. With the help of the incentives, the event fills 2,000 rooms and attracts roughly 100 teams, for an estimated economic impact of $1,336,463, according to the CVB.
Financial grants can be a huge boost for a state’s sports tourism business. How government officials and tourism offices proceed with requests from CVBs and sports commissions will dictate where coveted events land, particularly as budget concerns rise over inflation and tariff considerations. The payoff can be great ,but local leaders will determine at what price.
