[ballcoach15]

Commencement and ASUN softball tournament are same week. I wish this wasn't the case, but it is. I think visiting softball teams will bring more fans than visiting basketball teams.

[thepostman]

Common sense has no internet link. Bringing in all ASUN softball teams to one site, is a no brainers, compared to bringing in 1 basketball team, with no road following.

I have no idea if you are right or wrong since you provided no data to back up your claims. I do know that college softball is very much a niche sport so I can't imagine the economic impact being that significant for the ASun softball tourney.

[Purple Haize]

Common sense has no internet link. Bringing in all ASUN softball teams to one site, is a no brainers, compared to bringing in 1 basketball team, with no road following.

Because the footprint of the ASUN is spread over such a vast distance, there will not be a lot of fans traveling to Lynchburg for either. Having all the softball teams with their support staff there will probably be a bit better for local hotels and restaurants, but it's not going to make much of an "impact". Compare it with something like graduation and it will barely register a blip on the economic radar screen

Hotels will certainly see a greater impact but that’s about it. Liberty’s CTR will assure large crowds for a basketball run. Secondarily, the TV exposure will be vastly greater which expands the long term impact in terms of enrollment etc.
so again, ballcoach is just spouting uneducated nonsense

[ballcoach15]

The key is the number of teams in tournament, where as basketball will only have 1 visiting team each day, with a total of 3 if LU reaches title game.

[Purple Haize]

The key is the number of teams in tournament, where as basketball will only have 1 visiting team each day, with a total of 3 if LU reaches title game.

That is incorrect (unless you are talking about hotels). Thank you for playing. We have lovely departing gifts

[thepostman]

The key is the number of teams in tournament, where as basketball will only have 1 visiting team each day, with a total of 3 if LU reaches title game.

I understand your logic but what is the economic impact of the ASun softball tourney? I can't imagine it will have much of an effect on the Lynchburg economy especially with it happening commencement week with rooms having no problem being filled.

Maybe the economic impact is larger than I think but @ballcoach15 you have to back up data from time to time if you desire for anybody to start taking your claims seriously.

[Purple Haize]

The key is the number of teams in tournament, where as basketball will only have 1 visiting team each day, with a total of 3 if LU reaches title game.

I understand your logic but what is the economic impact of the ASun softball tourney? I can't imagine it will have much of an effect on the Lynchburg economy especially with it happening commencement week with rooms having no problem being filled.

Maybe the economic impact is larger than I think but @ballcoach15 you have to back up data from time to time if you desire for anybody to start taking your claims seriously.

Don’t hold your breath

[ballcoach15]

Postman: with both commencement and ASUN softball taking place at the same time, it will be virtually impossible to separate the data between the 2 events. If visitors spend money at local businesses, no one will really know if they're here for softball or commencement. They are just here and spending money.
I wish ASUN softball was a stand alone event.

[thepostman]

It would be impossible to find data for an event that hasn't happened. This is true but I am sure with your "sources", you could be guided in the right direction to find economic impact studies that are almost always done before bidding on these kinds of events. Once you find that data feel free to share that to help back up your claim that a low level fringe sport like college softball will have such a large economic impact.

[Class of 20Something]

For reference, the Commonwealth Games brings in around 5000 people to the area and is estimated to be about a $2m boost to the area.

https://www.wsls.com/news/2018/07/30/vi ... ournament/

Averaging $400 a person for the commonwealth games is pretty small. Let’s say the average ASUN team carries 20 players and travels them all. Add in the coaching and support staff let’s say 10 travel. That’s 30 people per team, let’s liberally assume that 100 people travel to support each team. Last years championship game had an attendance mark of 242. So 130 people and 8 teams is 1,030 people. Keeping with the $400 projected in a real impact study, that’s $416,000.

Or most think that the ASUN Basketball Final could sell out Vines. So let’s say that Liberty sells out the vines and has 4000 students in there. So we’re talking about 5200 of non students converging. Averaging a spend of $80 each locally would pass the entire estimated Softball Tournament in one night. There are still two more games of the basketball tournament.

[ballcoach15]

There not be 5200 non students in attendance

[thepostman]

For reference, the Commonwealth Games brings in around 5000 people to the area and is estimated to be about a $2m boost to the area.

https://www.wsls.com/news/2018/07/30/vi ... ournament/

Averaging $400 a person for the commonwealth games is pretty small. Let’s say the average ASUN team carries 20 players and travels them all. Add in the coaching and support staff let’s say 10 travel. That’s 30 people per team, let’s liberally assume that 100 people travel to support each team. Last years championship game had an attendance mark of 242. So 130 people and 8 teams is 1,030 people. Keeping with the $400 projected in a real impact study, that’s $416,000.

Or most think that the ASUN Basketball Final could sell out Vines. So let’s say that Liberty sells out the vines and has 4000 students in there. So we’re talking about 5200 of non students converging. Averaging a spend of $80 each locally would pass the entire estimated Softball Tournament in one night. There are still two more games of the basketball tournament.

This is good stuff and the kind of post that helps provide context to an argument. The 5200 non-student number is probably high but even half of that is probably more than would come out to the ASun Softball tourney in Lynchburg.