Power Plays

West Virginia’s sports tourism industry has seen recent success, driven by strong partnerships, state-of-the-art facilities and a commitment to community engagement. Across the state, events and teams are boosting local economies, attracting visitors and showcasing the Mountain State as a premier destination for sports.

National Sports

Hosting the 2024 USA Diving Junior Nationals brought in approximately 1,500 visitors over the course of 10 days and 650 athletes from all over the U.S. as well as some international athletes.

Tami Wood, group sales manager for Visit Mountaineer Country CVB, says the recent success of sports tourism in the area can be attributed to a few factors.

“There has been a growing interest in niche sports experiences and a rise in digital booking platforms,” she says. “Destinations have seen these large events generate a substantial economic impact.”

Visit Mountaineer Country CVB hosted a fan experience area on-site each day of the Junior Nationals competition to provide visitors with unique local treats.

“This event helped drive community engagement because it required a lot of volunteers from our community.”

Morgantown will host the Junior Nationals again in 2026, and the estimated economic impact is $2 million.

“This event is one we worked hard to attract over the course of two years, and we are proud of the relationships we have built with the USA Diving organization and the diving community,” says Wood.

Tim Brady, president and CEO of the Charleston CVB, also shares his insights on the recent success of sports tourism in the Metro Valley.

“In Charleston, the CVB has made concentrated efforts to bring sporting events and tournaments to the area,” he says. “With state-of-the-art facilities like the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center and Shawnee Sports Complex, the CVB is able to market the valley as a sports destination that can accommodate a variety of events.”

One recent event that has been fruitful for Charleston is the 2023 SBD Official Strongman Games. With an economic impact of $500,000, the event brought more than 200 athletes from more than 30 countries, as well as their families, trainers, friends and fans.

Photo by Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.

Brady says events such as this are won through a competitive bid process.

“The event rights holder generally puts out a request for proposal, which destinations can choose to respond to,” he says. “Once proposals are vetted, the rights holder or organizer usually makes a site visit to a potential destination. That’s our opportunity to not only show off our world-class facilities at the Coliseum & Convention Center but also show them true West Virginia hospitality.”

Shawn Cassell, director of marketing for Snowshoe Mountain Resort, says the COVID-19 pandemic, as difficult as it was, created a boom in the sports tourism industry.

“Folks were looking for things to do that were safe and suitable for social distancing, and outdoor recreation checked a lot of those boxes,” he says. “More and more people found that outdoor recreation is an amazing way to take a break from your daily routine and do something good for the body and the mind.”

Photo by Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

When the pandemic started to slow down and events could be held again, Snowshoe had the opportunity to host the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup: Marathon of Snowshoe.

“We saw a huge boost here in Pocahontas County during the World Cup,” Cassell says. “Lodging on the mountain filled well in advance, so lodging providers as far away as Marlinton and Elkins saw a lot of World Cup-related bookings. That impact was also felt at local bike shops, restaurants and other attractions.”

The event brought between approximately 12,000 and 16,000 people to Snowshoe during World Cup week.

Youth Sports

Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango says West Virginia should see significant revenue from the increase in youth sports tourism. The Shawnee Sports Complex has generated over $150 million in economic impact since opening in 2018.

Two significant events in the Metro Valley contributing to this success are the U.S. Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships and the West Virginia Futbol Club (WVFC) Capital Cup.

“The 2024 Eastern Regional brought approximately $28 million into the region,” says Salango. “Over 10,000 people from 13 states attended. Virtually all teams and visitors who attended the tournament stayed in hotels, and 232 teams participated.”

Many businesses reported record sales during the U.S. Youth Soccer tournament.“When Shawnee and Barboursville first hosted the event together, many restaurants were surprised by the influx of visitors, and some ran out of food,” Salango says. “Thereafter, we started working with local businesses to make sure they were aware of tournament dates so they could better prepared for the volume of customers.”

Kim Smee, executive director of the WVFC, says the 2024 WVFC Capital Cup brought over 200 teams from eight states and Canada and occupied 11,000 hotel rooms.

“We used local vendors, such Crafts of the Coal Ice Cream and Coal River Coffee Company,” Smee says. “Quantum Sports Center was used for tournament set up and all concessions, and our local Pizza Hut provided personal pizzas for concessions.”

Professional Sports

Photo by Wheeling Nailers Hockey.

One unique and new sport in Charleston is the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships. Brady says the city’s challenging terrain and a strong local organizing committee led to Charleston’s selection.

“In 2024, the Pro Road Championships created a $4.6 million economic impact,” he says. “The event was well received, and we expect additional attendees and athletes each year, especially in 2028, when the winners of Time Trials move on to the Olympic Games.”

The five-day event in 2024 drew 435 athletes from 46 states. The city hosted 2,794 overnight guests and visitor spending was up 22%.

Another form of sports tourism that has seen success in West Virginia is minor league sports, for example, the Wheeling Nailers hockey team.

“Thousands of fans from Wheeling and surrounding states attend home games,” says John Parrish, director of corporate sales. “Traveling fans and opposing teams contribute to local tourism by staying in hotels, dining at restaurants and shopping at local businesses.”

Parrish touches on the many ways minor league hockey is economically beneficial to Wheeling and surrounding cities.

“The team employs coaches, administrative staff and game-day personnel, creating jobs in the area. Fans attending games buy tickets, merchandise, parking and food and beverages, directly putting money back into the local economy,” he says. “All vendors at the arena are owned and operated by local business owners. The Nailers collaborate with local businesses through sponsorship, advertising and promotional tie-ins.”

DJ Abisalih, broadcaster and director of media and community relations, emphasizes the importance of community engagement for the Nailers.

“We take a lot of pride in how involved our players and staff are in the community,” he says. “Typically, players do between 40 and 50 different events each year.”