The return of March Madness had at least a $3.6 million economic impact on Greenville, a local tourism official said.
For the first time since 2002, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament was held in the city March 17 through 19.
Officials said Greenville, which hosted first- and second-round games, sold out of the 42,000 tickets available for the event.
“We were the only first or second round site to sell out,” said David Montgomery, vice president of sales for VisitGreenvilleSC. “Sunday games were moved to prime time. That means we had another full day of people in Greenville.”
Montgomery said all of the 6,000 hotel rooms tracked by his organization were occupied throughout the weekend. He suspected the nearly 3,000 other rooms in Greenville were also booked.
Official economic impact numbers from the event are being calculated and will be released soon, he said.
The city also benefitted from the “luck of the draw,” Montgomery said, as teams with a nearby fan base, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and the University of South Carolina, were chosen to play in Greenville.
The other teams were from Texas Southern University, the University of Arkansas, Seton Hall University, Marquette University, and Troy University.
Furman University and the Southern Conference served as co-hosts of tournament, which was held at the 15,000-seat Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown.
Montgomery said fans crowded downtown restaurants and retail shops, and visited a number of local attractions.
“Everything exceeded our expectations,” he said. “The weather was great. We had some great teams… All positives. We have heard a lot of great comments about the city.”
The removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds in 2015 made it possible for Greenville and other cities in the Palmetto State to bid for NCAA events.
The flag was removed in response to the slayings of nine parishioners at the historic Mother Emanuel church in Charleston.
In September 2016, the NCAA announced it planned to relocate several neutral site championships, including the men’s basketball tournament games originally scheduled for Greensboro, N.C.
That decision was in response to North Carolina’s so-called bathroom bill, HB2.
While the flag issue appeared to be settled, not everyone opposed to its removal chose to remain silent.
On Sunday, March 19, a small group of protesters placed a Confederate flag at the top of the parking garage next to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. A few other protesters with Confederate flags set up across the street from the arena’s main entrance.
Officials said the protests did not interrupt the tournament.
“The exposure was tremendous for the city,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White. “I think we probably had well over 40,000 people and three protesters… We heard a lot of the usual comments from people about wanting to come back.”
“In talking with the NCAA, they made it clear they were very happy with the way the city dealt with it,” Montgomery said. “The city did it the right way in terms of managing the situation. There has been no backlash from it.
White said he was walking through the lobby of city hall on Sunday when three young ladies from outside of Atlanta walked into the visitor’s center.
He said one of them yelled out “Best city ever!”
“People just want to share their enthusiasm,” White said. “Overall, I’d give us a solid A. Everything worked out beautifully.”
The mayor said the event highlighted the need for greater connectivity between the arena and downtown, as well as the area around Heritage Green.
He hopes the city will address those needs soon as part of its Capital Improvement Program.
Montgomery said the city has already bid on NCAA basketball events for 2019 to 2022. Efforts are also being made to bring the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament back.
He said the NCAA is expected to announce its host cities for future tournaments on April 12.
“I think we put ourselves in a very good position by proving that we can host this event just as well as, if not better than, anyone else,” Montgomery said. “We’re a known entity now.”
