County Scores Big With ACC Title Game

Published: Dec 15, 2007

The county's investment in the Tampa Bay Sports Commission paid off Wednesday with the announcement that the next two Atlantic Coast Conference football championships will be played at Raymond James Stadium.

Just four months ago, community activists skewered Hillsborough commissioners for doubling - from $200,000 to $400,000 - the county's contribution to the sports commission, which recruits amateur and collegiate sporting events to the region.

But the return on investment is clear, given the lineup of events that the commission has put together for 2008:

•The first and second rounds of the men's NCAA basketball championship

•The NCAA Women's Final Four

•The Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament

•The NCAA Division II men's soccer championship

•The ACC football championship

And that's just in one year.

One reason why the ACC is coming to Tampa, which also will host the Super Bowl in 2009, is because our community gets excited about football, said conference Commissioner John Swofford.

Another plus is the commission's strong performance in facilitating past championships, he said.

The football game's economic impact hasn't been calculated, but when the ACC title game was held in Jacksonville, local hotels booked about 10,000 room nights, said Rob Higgins, the commission's executive director.

Already, Hillsborough hotels benefit from the county's growing reputation for hosting sport championships, said Bob Morrison, executive director of the Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association. Amateur sporting events helped drive this year's increase in tourist tax dollars, he said.

It's a tricky call for politicians to invest in sports. It's especially tough when they face reduced revenues for other needs. But Commissioners Jim Norman and Ken Hagan were right to fight for the sports commission during the county's budget battle.

This region benefits from attracting big games.

It makes living here a lot more fun, too.