GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – The NCAA Tournament is coming to Greenville next week. Not only will this be a big deal for sports fans, but also for the local economy.
Tip-off at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena is next Friday, but the impact on the community starts well before then.
“This is a chance for us to showcase what Greenville has to offer from the beginning to the end,” Billy Dunlap, the director of sports tourism with VisitGreenvilleSC said.
He said hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to bring millions in economic revenue to the area.
“When you’ve got eight great college teams coming in and their fan bases that’s great for our hotels, that’s great for our restaurants, it’s great for attractions shopping,” Dunlap said.
The last time the Well hosted the tournament was in 2017.
“Having this back again is really exciting for the town and for us and for our staff and our fans,” general manager Beth Paul said.
She said having a large sporting event like this has a great impact.
“For us what it does directly as it creates jobs it obviously creates revenue and it creates just some national awareness of the arena,” Paul said.
And this tournament has even more meaning since the SEC women’s tournament was the last big sporting event at the Well before the pandemic.
“It’s extra special and meaningful that we can do this after the pandemic,” Paul said.
“Having this kind of event makes all the difference in the world because it really gives us a sense of normalcy,” Dunlap said.
The Well will host the women’s regional games next year and the men again in 2026.
