2009 NCAA’s in St. Louis
Having become a favorite site and a proven host, St. Louis was rewarded with back-to-back NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2008 and 2009. The NCAA Wrestling Committee announced that it awarded St. Louis the first two years available in the current bid cycle. Both tournaments will take place at Scottrade Center and be hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the University of Missouri. All three entities collaborated on the successful bid.
With the announcement, the Gateway City will now be home to five NCAA Wrestling Championships this decade. St. Louis also remains the only city to host the event in back-to-back years. It previously hosted the Championships in 2000, 2004 and 2005, setting the all-time total attendance record and boasting three of the event’s top five all-time total attendance marks.
A record 96,994 fans attended the 2000 Championships in St. Louis. The total attendance of 95,459 at Scottrade Center in 2005 was the second-highest in the tournament’s 75-year history. Based on an economic impact survey conducted at the 2000 event, the Championships attract 15,000 visitors to St. Louis, account for 12,000 hotel room nights and generate an estimated $10 million in economic impact.
In addition to attendance numbers, fan feedback demonstrates how attractive St. Louis has become as a site for the tournament. During the 2004 Championships at Scottrade Center, 91 percent of fans surveyed rated St. Louis as either an “excellent” or “very good” host city for the event. (98 percent rated St. Louis “excellent,” “very good” or “good.”) When asked about their overall experience in St. Louis during the Championships, 99 percent of fans said it was either “very favorable” or “favorable” compared to other host cities. Additionally, 98 percent of fans rated the venue experience at Scottrade Center as either “very favorable” or “favorable.”
