Scoring Big

Photo by Shawnee Sports Complex

Entertainment and sports venues around the state host events designed for fans of all ages. These events place West Virginia on a worldwide stage while also contributing millions of dollars to the state’s economy.

Multi-use sports facilities, such as The Bridge Sports Complex in Bridgeport, WV, and Mylan Park in Morgantown, WV, not only host sports events, but they also keep Mountaineers of all ages and skill levels moving. With an aquatics center, climbing facility, fitness center and thousands of square feet of playing field at the CityNet Indoor Facility, The Bridge hosts between 500,000 and 700,000 people annually.

In 2024, the facility will host approximately 25 different sports camps. In March 2024, The Bridge will also break ground on a $1.5 million inclusive playground.

“Our goal is to serve all members of our community, from the Senior Club to the Challenger League,” says Droo Callahan, general manager of The Bridge. “We want to serve anyone in our community who wants health and fitness in their lives.”

The facility opened in June 2021. Callahan estimates The Bridge’s economic impact to be between $2.5 and $3 million annually. The facility will host a father and son baseball tournament in the spring, as well as May Basketball Madness.

In Morgantown, WV, Mylan Park, a recreation, sport, social, health and wellness complex, offers the community multiple programs. The aquatic center and track complex hosts programs such as Learn to Swim, drop-in fitness and seasonal camps. The facility has more than 100,000 visitors annually. Danielle Rudash, assistant director of marketing and outreach, says the facility has something for everyone.

Owned and operated by the Mylan Park Foundation, the sports complex, which started with just four baseball and softball fields approximately 20 years ago, now spans 400 acres. For those who enjoy watching diving and swimming competitions, Mylan Park will be hosting the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship in February and the USA Diving Junior National Championships in July.

In October, Governor Jim Justice announced a $3.5 million grant award for Mylan Park. The governor’s office estimates the facility’s economic impact at $9 million annually.

Photo by Mylan Park

“Mylan Park stands as a cornerstone in Monongalia County’s landscape, offering premier facilities that elevate our region’s quality of life and appeal for destination-branding sporting events,” says Susan Riddle, president and CEO of Visit Mountaineer Country Convention & Visitors’ Bureau (CVB). “Our premier amenities and versatile spaces here attract tournaments, championships and competitions, not just enhancing our local sports scene but also drawing participants and spectators both nationally and internationally. The influx of visitors fuels our economy, boosts tourism and solidifies North Central West Virginia as a prime destination for athletic excellence.”

Located in the Capital City, the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center has hosted 49 sporting events since 2021. The center has more than 100,000 square feet of space that can be converted for sports.

“We can host a variety of sports, from archery, basketball, boxing, cheer and dance to volleyball, table tennis and wrestling,” says Veronica Ratcliff, director of marketing and sales.

In summer 2023, the convention center, in collaboration with the Charleston CVB, hosted two international championship events. The ITTF Junior Pan American games brought more than 200 athletes from more than 20 countries to Charleston and had an economic impact of $1.1 million, according to Tim Brady, president and CEO of the Charleston CVB.

Photo by Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center

The Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center also hosted the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation Men’s Continental Championship in summer 2023. The competition brought the USA Volleyball Men’s National Team and seven other men’s national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. This event boosted the economy with a $1.3 million impact, according to Brady.

Events in 2024 include the West Virginia Youth Wrestling Association State Tournament, West Virginia State National Archery in the Schools Program\International Bowhunting Organization 3D Challenge archery tournament and the Vantage Volleyball tournament.

“We work closely with the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau to promote the facility and market to sports planners,” says Ratcliff. “Sports events attract tourists as participants or spectators, and we work with the CVB to highlight our destination and add local flavors to the events to distinguish ourselves and provide authentic local experiences.”
Charleston is working to increase sports tourism in the area by repurposing an empty site downtown.

“The City of Charleston and Kanawha County Commission have proposed a multi-million-dollar Capitol Sports Complex on the site of the former Macy’s,” says Brady. “This indoor anchor facility would add significantly to the city’s capacity to host travel sports events.”

In nearby Dunbar, the Shawnee Sports Complex focuses on giving local youth a safe, positive and encouraging environment to grow and play. The Shawnee Sports Complex has six collegiate turf soccer fields lined for multiple sports, four collegiate turf baseball and softball fields and 27 acres of grass fields along the bank of the Kanawha River.

Shawnee sees approximately 2,500 athletes walk through its gates Monday through Friday. The complex can host 5,000 to 6,000 visitors during a 150-team tournament, with more than 300 games throughout one weekend. Shawnee’s economic impact for the last five years has reached more than $130 million, according to Samantha Carney, operations director.

Events at Shawnee in 2024 include the East Coast College Showcase, West Virginia Futbol Club Capital Cup and U.S. Youth Soccer Eastern Presidents Cup.

Photo by Mountain Health Arena and Convention Center

Mountain Health Arena and Convention Center in Huntington, WV, also hosts sports events in its mix of offered entertainment. Across all events, the facility hosts approximately 180,000 visitors annually, providing an estimated economic impact of $17 million, according to Lenny Sundahl, marketing assistant.

Of the 180,000 annual visitors, approximately 18,000 attend the center for sports events. These include the WVSSAC State High School Wrestling Tournament, which the center has hosted since 1988, and the WSAZ-TV Invitational, the state’s largest wrestling tournament with more than 100 high school and middle school teams participating.

“We also annually host the Harlem Globetrotters, the Tough Man boxing competition and Spikefest, the youth volleyball tournament,” Sundahl says. “We have recently hosted World Wrestling Entertainment, Rough ‘N Rowdy boxing and, for this season, Huntington Expression Prep Basketball.”

The Summersville Arena and Conference Center seats 2,000 and has recently added a portable collegiate hardwood basketball floor. Home-grown sporting events at the arena include the National Guard Wrestling Tournament and the West Virginia Christian Athletic Association Basketball Tournament.

Summersville Arena is also the home of Biddy Basketball, an international basketball league for children designed to teach basketball fundamentals with a smaller ball, shorter goals and an imposed height limit to make the game more competitive for younger Mountaineers.

Sports tourism is a growing industry in the Mountain State. It’s exciting to see how these venues are contributing to building a better tomorrow for West Virginians through sports.