On Sunday, February 12, 2023, the biggest game in U.S. sports will once again be played in metro Phoenix. When Super Bowl LVII kicks off at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, it will be the fourth time in the game’s history that Arizona has hosted what has evolved into a gargantuan sports “mega-event,” one that’s become the envy of nearly every sizeable American city to play host.
State of Play
Arizona’s emphasis on hosting sports teams and events means big dollars for the state.
“People watching these events on TV, they may see something about Arizona that causes them to book a trip here. So I always say that the support we provide to these teams or the organizations, that’s advertising that we couldn’t afford to buy…ever. It puts Arizona on an international stage.” – Debbie Johnson, Executive Director, Arizona Office of Tourism
And, as it has for dozens of other host cities through the years, the Super Bowl will have a record-breaking impact on the Arizona economy. A study conducted by the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University calculated that the total revenue generated from the last Super Bowl played in Arizona in 2015 amounted to a whopping $719.4 million.
The upcoming game promises to have an even bigger dollar impact. As Arizona Governor Doug Ducey noted earlier this year, “The Super Bowl is a force multiplier for economic development in Arizona.”
But the Super Bowl is a single sporting event, with most of the money it generates occurring over a two-week period of time. What about the impact owing to sports teams that live and play here year in and year out?
Sports mecca
Debbie Johnson is in a position to know the why, where and what-for regarding sports teams’ contributions to Arizona’s culture and economy. As executive director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, it’s her job to manage the myriad tasks of promoting Arizona as a travel destination. That means heading up the development, implementation and maintenance of programs that help keep the state top-of-mind as a travel destination.
Johnson says the fact that Arizona has become a mecca for sports and sports teams shouldn’t surprise anyone. With its profusion of lifestyle positives, the state is a natural for any number and variety of teams to call home.
“It almost goes without saying, our weather—our climate—is a big draw for sports teams to locate in Arizona,” she says. “But I do also think that the quality of life here—the variety of things you can do—not just for the players themselves, but also for the fans, the visitors, is a really important piece of why they choose Arizona.”
The convenience of travel in and out of the metro Phoenix area is another obvious plus, Johnson says. “The ease of getting here for an event is a big factor. But one thing that people tend to forget is that Arizona is an eclectic place, with people from all around the country coming here to live. It’s helped build a solid fan base for all different kinds of teams…I do think that having that level of diversity in a fan base is really important to our sports economy.”
Of course, another factor Johnson points out is that Arizona has gone to tremendous lengths to ensure that its stadiums are first-rate, with every imaginable convenience of 21st century technology and comfort.
“Likewise,” Johnson adds, “you can’t forget the resort-like quality of our lodging experience here. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. You can find lodging at all different levels and have a great experience, and be able to enjoy the state’s multitude of attractions.
“And it’s not just the major professional sports teams,” she adds. “We have so many youth and amateur sports teams that come here for their tournaments. That’s something that’s grown, as well. The fact that the athletes’ families can easily join them here from an accommodations’ standpoint, and that sports can be played year-round…that’s grown in addition to the professional sports scene.”
According to Johnson, there’s a reason the Arizona Office of Tourism supports the Super Bowl, NASCAR, and other national teams.
“It’s not just because of the economic impact while they’re here,” Johnson explains. “It’s because the people watching these events on TV, they may see something about Arizona that causes them to book a trip here. So I always say that the support we provide to these teams or the organizations that bring sports here, that’s advertising that we couldn’t afford to buy…ever. It puts Arizona on an international stage.”
Let’s play ball!
For all their manifest glory, such “super” events like the Super Bowl and NASCAR are hardly the only athletic enterprises that have put Arizona on the national sports map. In 1947, two decades prior to the first Super Bowl, Arizona was already a force in drawing national sports teams to the Valley of the Sun. That happens to be when the Arizona Cactus League Baseball Association was founded.
Bridget Binsbacher is executive director of the Arizona Cactus League Baseball Association, responsible for managing and coordinating the nearly unfathomable array of activities surrounding the management and coordination of 15 major league baseball teams playing five weeks’ worth of spring training ball in 10 stadiums throughout the metro Phoenix area.
Binsbacher sees one of her most important roles as that of driving the Cactus League’s economic impact in Arizona.
“To help achieve that,” she explains, “I work closely with a number of stakeholders. For example, we’re fortunate to have a strong partnership with the Arizona Office of Tourism, which helps us promote spring training outside the state. I also collaborate with the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA), which provides funding for Cactus League ballpark construction and renovations.”
Another major responsibility she handles is representing Arizona’s spring training industry. “That can mean news interviews, speaking to community groups and just about anything else you can imagine to tell our story,” she notes. “I report to a volunteer board of directors and work with volunteer committees focused on facility operations, marketing and other areas.”
Binsbacher and others’ promotional efforts have paid off in spades for the state. In 2018, Arizona State University researchers estimated that spring training baseball registered an overall impact of $644.2 million.
“From an economic impact perspective,” Binsbacher says, “ASU researchers have called the Cactus League a ‘mega-event’ on par with the Super Bowl, but one that happens every spring.”
A huge portion of that income is attributed to the enormous tourism draw that spring training generates for the state. In 2018, for example, 233 Cactus League games drew a total of 1,796,403 fans, an average of 7,710 per game. Six out of 10 of those fans came from out of state, according to an ASU economic impact study.
“The survey found a statewide benefit, with 26% of fans reporting that they would visit another part of Arizona during their trip,” Binsbacher says. “The median Cactus League visitor attends three games, spends four nights in Arizona and spends $405 per day.
“Another key stat [an ASU research study tallied], about a third of out-of-state visitors had attended spring training for at least five seasons. Generations of baseball fans have fallen in love with Arizona, and they return year after year.”
Tourism aside, like the national professional sports teams that reside full-time in Arizona, the Cactus League’s economic impact in the state has a marked ripple effect that ultimately nourishes the livelihood of many other civic and cultural organizations throughout Arizona.
“To give you an example, there are five nonprofits directly affiliated with spring training,” Binsbacher explains. “In 2019, the most recent season that was studied, those nonprofits had 1,944 volunteers work a combined 90,000 hours and raise $2,605,000 for their respective organizations. That money went to community youth organizations, academic scholarships and public education.”
Binsbacher says that spring training is these nonprofits’ main source of fundraising, providing the most visible platform for their outreach, which includes giving back through scholarships and other initiatives.
“When you go to a game at a ballpark that has an affiliated nonprofit, you can’t miss their volunteers,” she says. “Those are the friendly folks directing you in the parking lot, taking your ticket and helping you find your seat as an usher. In some parks, they may even be serving your hot dog at the concession stand. They are essential to the day-to-day operation of these ballparks.”
Looking ahead
Binsbacher says that the Cactus League’s ongoing success has been the result of careful planning through the years by her, her board and the many civic leaders who preceded her in the job. “Looking ahead, one of our immediate goals is to promote local attendance of games early in the schedule,” she says. “When Major League Baseball pushed the start of spring training into February, it created an opportunity for more local fans to attend before the influx of out-of-state visitors, which occurs in mid-March. The demand for tickets isn’t as strong in the early weeks, so we want to make sure Valley residents know about that opportunity to enjoy baseball during the best time of year in Arizona.
“Another goal is to help ensure the long-term funding of Cactus League facilities. Spring training is a competitive industry, and AZSTA and the host municipalities have invested heavily in it. Our facilities are excellent, but as they age, they require renovations and improvements.”
Johnson has a broader view of Arizona’s sports future. “For us, it’s about promoting the myriad things to do when you come to Arizona to attend one of these [sports] events,” she explains. “We talk about all the great things to do in metro Phoenix, but when you come to Arizona for a sporting event, we want you to stay a couple of extra days, go to the Grand Canyon or visit southern Arizona. There are so many great things to experience here that people don’t realize, so we really consider that our primary goal: educating people who may visit here for sports about all the great things to see and do.”
Photos: WScottPhoto.com (c)2018 (State Farm Stadium), Mark Lipczynski (Debbie Johnson), Camelback Ranch / Visit Phoenix (baseball)