SPRINGFIELD — The city of Springfield's first foray into regional hosting of the NCAA Division I hockey tournament was a blow to the local economy, according to early statistical and anecdotal data.
The Greater Springfield Convention and Tourism Bureau reported that the three tournament games played over two days, Thursday, March 28 and Saturday, March 30, had a direct economic impact of $1.1 million.
“This doesn't take into account indirect spending or induced spending spinoffs,” said Mary Kay Wydra, director of the Greater Springfield Convention and Tourism Bureau. “$1.1 [million] That's a really good number. ”
Wydra explained that indirect and induced spending is a subsequent effect. As an example, indirect spending includes aspects such as money earned by employees of local facilities. Induced spending is when employees use their funds to purchase goods or reinvest in the local economy.
“Money ripples through the economy,” Wydra said. “The $1.1 million figure is a number that we feel comfortable with at this point. [the overall impact] It's always high, but we can't say exactly what it is at the moment. ”
Wydra also noted that the impact on local hotel occupancy rates will not be known until the department's March report is finalized at the end of April.
MassMutual Center's two-day attendance was 10,172, according to the NCAA. On March 28, 5,765 hockey fans attended one or both of the opening games between Denver and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, followed by the University of Maine and Cornell University. He had two games played on opening day, but because they were part of his one ticketed event, the NCAA takes both games into account when tallying attendance. The MassMutual Center has a maximum hockey capacity of approximately 6,800 people.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Denver will kick off the entire tournament Thursday with a showdown at 2 p.m., giving fans an hour and a half of so-called “free hockey” as the two sides battle to a second overtime before the Pioneers Tristan Broz scored the winning goal. We scored a goal and won 2-1. Denver defeated Cornell 2-1 in the regional final.
In comparison, the regional tournament held on Friday, March 29th at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, included a large crowd to watch games between top-ranked Boston College, Quinnipiac, the University of Wisconsin and Michigan Technological University. 6,988 and 5,835 people gathered respectively. Two of his New England teams, Boston College and Quinnipiac, advanced to the regional finals, with Boston College winning. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 5,691 and 6,113 people gathered at the Denny Sanford Premier Center for Thursday and Saturday's schedule featuring the University of Boston, Minnesota, University of Nebraska at Omaha and Rochester Institute of Technology. Boston University defeated Minnesota State in its regional final.
The fourth regional tournament was held in unconventional fashion at the Centene Community Ice Center, which is much smaller than the 2,500-seat arena. Rural sites typically have a capacity of at least 5,000.
MassMutual Center won the inaugural college hockey regional tournament several years ago and won the opportunity through a competitive bidding cycle in 2019 and 2020. During that cycle, the NCAA decided on her 2022-26 championship site.
NCAA Championship Alliance Director Chad Tolliver told Reminder Publishing that given the strong performance of participants and organizers, Springfield would host similar events in the future if it chooses to bid. He said there is a good chance he will get the opportunity.
“There were a lot of factors at play that made Springfield a really good place for us this year. One of them was the voting from the fans. The tie against UMass over there was good. I thought it was great, so it had a hometown feel and the fans really worked hard,” Tolliver said. “You never know what you're going to get. Whether or not fans can come depends on the teams and geography that are located there, but fans in Springfield really want to come to regional games. I thought it was a great first show, so to speak.”
He added that past performance, in addition to facility requirements and other considerations, is a “factor” when determining future sites.
Tolliver was not at the scene in Springfield, but said of the reports he received from colleagues: The first is to be prepared, be prepared, and ask all the right questions. Overall it was a great area and the local support was great. ”
Wydra acknowledged that there were also challenges associated with the event, including the fact that it was held over Easter weekend and the nature of the tournament, which meant waiting until the conference tournament games were completed and the NCAA selection committee had made a decision. , noted that no one knew which team would play in Springfield. announced the field. The selection program aired on ESPN2 on Sunday night, March 24th.
The University of Massachusetts and American International College served as regional co-sponsors. Tolliver said host schools are “critically important” to implementation across the region.
“Obviously they are local experts who understand the market,” he said. “Obviously our championship staff and committee are well-versed in running championship events, but they are not very familiar with the field and have a lot of experience in how things run and how the market reacts. I don't really know what to do.”
The host organization is also responsible for equipment management, athletic training, and other behind-the-scenes operational aspects of the tournament.
Wydra said that while the University of Massachusetts' participation was a benefit to hosting the tournament, on-ice participation would cap the economic benefits for some industries, namely the lodging industry.
Wydra commented: “As a local, he was happy that the UMass team was able to participate in the event. However, I don't think UMass would have sold as many hotel rooms because their fan base was so local. There were a lot of… Seats were sold.”
Conversely, Denver's considerable distance from Springfield may have limited its maximum economic impact.
“The team went on the road, but did the entire fan base come? Probably not,” she said. “You don't get to choose that in a sports tournament.”
Per NCAA selection committee rules, Denver was selected to participate in the Springfield area. The top four teams in the tournament were Boston College, Boston University, Denver, and Michigan State, resulting in each team needing the top seeds in the four regional brackets. For example, Boston College may have been a more logical regional draw for Springfield, but Tolliver acknowledged that the University of Massachusetts receiving an at-large bid to the tournament complicated the situation.
As the host school, the rules guarantee the University of Massachusetts a spot in the Springfield region and require it to be the No. 4 seed among Springfield's four teams for overall seeding. Tolliver explained that the committee has a policy of avoiding first-round matchups between teams that play in the same conference. The University of Massachusetts and Boston University are both members of the Hockey East Conference.
“We have some policies and procedures in terms of championship selection that make things a little bit difficult in terms of putting together the brackets,” Tolliver said. “Because UMass needed to do it.” [in Springfield], the geography was a little more fragmented than I would have liked as I had to find another location for the BU and true seeding of the bracket, but I think I managed to secure some locations in the end. Masu. Great matchup, and you saw it on the ice. ”
Even considering the complex circumstances, Wydra agreed that the weekend was “definitely a win for our region.”
“Hundreds and thousands of people come downtown, and if that event had happened, they probably wouldn't have,” she said. “Anytime there's a large gathering, it's a victory.”
Wydra said he surveyed local attractions and venues and anecdotally found that a venue outside of the MassMutual Center would benefit.
“[The Basketball Hall of Fame] “We were renting quite a bit of space in the building and doing other events, but we focused on hockey fans, and we had a lot of visitors on the weekends,” she said. “MGM also told me that their traffic numbers were up. We didn't have hard data, but it felt like the casino floor and bars were busier before and after games. I love it. I hope the people who attend sporting events also take advantage of all the other things we have to do.”
MGM Springfield spokeswoman Beth Ward referred questions about the impact of the tournament to Wydra and the administration.
Theodore's Booze Blues and Barbecue, a downtown Springfield staple, was packed to capacity on March 28 and shared a video on social media showing the University of Maine Band performing as mascots and dancing with patrons. did. Reminder Publishing also highlighted White Lion Brewing Company's Tower Square Taproom and Nadim's Downtown Mediterranean Grill on Main Street as local establishments that saw strong foot traffic throughout the weekend. also noticed.
Mr. Tolliver also praised the MassMutual Center management team for the role it played in making the weekend a success.
“The building management obviously knows how to run a building and how to get things done. From our staff standpoint, they were great to work with,” he said. “These are really the boots on the ground for our staff and committee. They make it happen locally.”
MGM Springfield manages MassMutual Center. Ward referred Reminder Publishing's questions about event management to MassMutual Center General Manager Sean Dolan, who did not respond to requests for comment.
Reminder Publishing reached out to Springfield Business Improvement District Executive Director Michelle Grout, but she could not be reached.
