Owensboro Benefitting from Sports Tourism, with Several New Projects on Tap

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Credit visitowensboro.org

The Owensboro Sportscenter

Sports tourism is expected to have a $20 million impact on the Owensboro community this year.

Jared Bratcher is sports marketing director for the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

He told the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer there will be more than 50 tournaments, including figure skating, hockey, baseball, running, soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, fishing and football.

There's some type of tournament in town every month and they will fill every hotel room in the city on 10 weekends this year.

Bratcher said a 32,000-square-foot indoor sports complex called the Next Level created a year-round home for tournaments last year. The community's Edge Ice Center is beginning to bring in ice skating and hockey. And when the convention center opens next year Bratcher hopes to get even more competitions.