{"id":653646,"date":"2026-03-13T22:24:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/653646\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T22:24:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:24:14","slug":"jacksonvilles-sports-surge-this-month-expected-to-bring-nearly-55m-economic-impact-boost-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/653646\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville\u2019s sports surge this month expected to bring nearly $55M economic impact, boost tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><strong>JACKSONVILLE, Fla. <\/strong> \u2013 A packed March sports calendar is expected to deliver a major economic boost to Jacksonville, driving hotel bookings and visitor spending as the region hosts everything from championship golf to youth sports and relay races.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Among the biggest draws this month is THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, which is estimated to generate 25,000 hotel rooms and about $40 million in economic impact for Duval County, according to figures provided by Visit Jacksonville. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce has said the tournament generates roughly $150 million in economic impact across Northeast Florida, including more than $40 million across Duval and St. Johns counties combined.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Local leaders say the spillover is felt well beyond the course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe have a lot going on, and really for the past two weeks. The economic impact is great,\u201d said Samantha Vance, executive director of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation. \u201cWe are looking forward to continuing to do stuff like this \u2014 and I call it our March madness for Jacksonville in sports.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In addition to THE PLAYERS, Visit Jacksonville estimates several other March events will add millions more in economic activity in Duval County:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>The AAU Collegiate Hockey Championships (March 6\u201317): 8,000 hotel rooms and $5.7 million in economic impact<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Basketball State Championships: 2,400 hotel rooms and $3.1 million<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>Gate River Run: 2,400 hotel rooms and $3.1 million<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>ASUN Tournament: 1,675 hotel rooms and $2 million<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>Bob Hayes Invitational Track Meet (March 19\u201321): 425 hotel rooms and $600,000<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Altogether, estimates for those events total nearly $55 million in economic impact this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Visit Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Sports Foundation say the city\u2019s growing sports tourism strategy is built on year-round event recruitment and community engagement. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Tourism leaders add that the partnership between Visit Jacksonville and the Sports Foundation is designed not only to land marquee events, but also to connect them with the local community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThe Jacksonville Sports Foundation came out of Visit Jacksonville and the TPC\u2019s efforts to really ask, how can we delve deeper into the local community and get the local community engaged around these large-scale sporting events,\u201d Mitura said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">For local businesses, the crowds can mean some of the strongest sales of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s the most wonderful time of the year, just like Christmas,\u201d said Bryan Small, a manager at Boat House Ponte Vedra, describing the rush around THE PLAYERS. \u201cThat\u2019s where we really thrive, lines out the door. Increasing sales\u2026 it\u2019s been incredible. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Businesses in Ponte Vedra Beach also say visitors help spotlight areas that some travelers may not otherwise explore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe love having events in this area, because it is just a beautiful way to help our little neighborhood grow and thrive,\u201d said Kamokila, a manager at Morley in Ponte Vedra.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Looking ahead, upcoming events include the 2026 FHSAA Track &amp; Field Championships at the University of North Florida (May 6\u20139, 2026).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">IRONMAN (May 16, 2026), AAU Primary National Championship and Club Championship at UNF (July 4\u201311, 2026).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The Predator Group Pro Series Challenge (December 2026), and several championship events scheduled for 2027, including the ACES Conference for college swimming and diving coaches, the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship and NCAA Division I Track &amp; Field East Coast Regionals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Tourism leaders say the long-term goal is to keep Jacksonville on the map to host other major sporting events. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Some include entering a bid in hopes of hosting an NCAA March Madness tournament in the future, and to make sure the payoff reaches beyond the venues and into neighborhoods across the region.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 A packed March sports calendar is expected to deliver a major economic boost to Jacksonville,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":653647,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,79,3188,723,7310,6459,89052,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-653646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-economy","10":"tag-fl","11":"tag-florida","12":"tag-jacksonville","13":"tag-money","14":"tag-the-players","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116224213956994855","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/653647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=653646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=653646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}