NCAA Tournaments Return to S.C. for the First Time in 15 Years

State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Estimates Games will Bring in Millions

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- This weekend, South Carolina is hosting Women’s basketball tournaments for the SEC in Greenville and the ACC in Conway, marking the first time our state has been able to host NCAA events since 2002, following a sanction placed on our state by the organization while the confederate flag was erected at the State House.

Three other NCAA events are also scheduled to take place in the Palmetto State this month. The state Department of Rarks , Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT) says the games will be a great source of revenue.

“If you add all of them up, all five of them, there’s probably roughly $10-15 million in economic impact from those events,” said SCPRT’s Duane Parrish.

The department believes the events will benefit our state in multiple ways.

“It’s not just for sports fans, there’s a couple things,” began Parrish. “These tournaments happen year-round and tourism is not always year-round so this helps with job sustainability and tourism will become less seasonal, specifically for hotels and restaurants that may not have business this time of year otherwise,” said Parrish.

As far as seeing some tournament action in the Midlands, Parrish says Columbia may have a shot but we will have to wait and see what happens in April when the bids are announced.