Why More Sports Tournaments are Flocking to Illinois

New incentive grant program is helping the state attract more events than ever before

By Jason Paha

Sports have always been a big deal in Illinois.

From its unbridled love of professional sports to the hundreds of amateur tournaments, regionals, qualifiers and championships it hosts, the Land of Lincoln has been a force in the sports tourism market for years.

In recent years, Illinois has seen tremendous growth in tourism. According to data from Tourism Economics, Illinois welcomed 112 million visitors in 2023, a million more than the number of visitors in 2022. Those 112 million visitors spent $47 billion at Illinois businesses, up $3 billion compared to the year before. Overall, tourist spending in the state had a total economic impact of $83 billion in 2023, a 6.4% increase from 2022. Visitor spending in 2023 surpassed 2019 levels for the first time, reaching 4% above its pre-pandemic benchmark.

Much of that stems from sports tourism, and Sports Illinois, the official event planner resource for hosting a sporting event in the state, is the catalyst behind attracting these competitions. Sports Illinois’ goal is to attract, recruit or retain state, regional and national events that increase travel and overnight stays in Illinois. The organization does this as it creates innovative, strategically driven direct sales, and marketing and promotional campaigns.

And it’s been working.

A recent Sports ETA State of the Industry Report identified the Top 10 list of states in terms of the economic impact generated by sports tourism. In 2023, Illinois was ranked No. 5 in the country in economic impact behind only Florida, Texas, California and Pennsylvania.

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Illinois Tourism Incentive Grant Program

As impressive as Illinois’ sports tourism numbers were before, it has stepped up its game considerably thanks to a new $15 million Tourism Incentive Grant Program. This program was established to bolster tourism across the state by supporting the development and improvement of events, conferences, and trade shows, specifically designed to attract events that have not yet been held in Illinois.

“Illinois is exceptionally proud to be ranked as the 5^th leading sports tourism state in the country per the latest State of the Industry report,” said Terry Truman, sales manager, Visit Springfield. “The new $15 million incentive grant program is the best grant program we’ve had to help us actively seek events since I started over 12 years ago.”

The state’s grant program has already paid dividends as an $800,000 grant provided to Rockford Area CVB helped the city land the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon beginning in 2025 and running through 2027. The grant funds will be used to support race day operations.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon to Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “My administration’s Tourism Incentive Grant Program attracted this major event to Rockford, and we look forward to showcasing Illinois’ natural beauty and world-class hospitality to the thousands of athletes and spectators who will join us over the next three years.”

IRONMAN is considered one of the most recognizable and respected global sports brands and this is the first time it will be held in Illinois. The event is expected to draw nearly 3,000 athletes and 15,000 visitors during each race. The race is also expected to fill an estimated 7,000 to 12,000 hotel room nights and figures to generate upwards of $45 million in economic impact over three years.

While it is still early in the process, others are utilizing the grant money as well. Discover DuPage, Enjoy Aurora and Visit Springfield Illinois combined forces and will host the 2026 National Beep Baseball Association World Series. The event is the organization’s 50^th anniversary. Also, Springfield is utilizing the funds to host the 2025 USA Trampoline and Tumbling Region 4 Championships.

“The new Tourism Incentive Program is enabling Illinois to attract new high-profile events that generate millions in economic impact,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “Attracting IRONMAN is a testament to all Illinois has to offer and increases our opportunity to show visitors from across the globe why Illinois is the best place to live, work and do business.”