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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Even though the women’s championship is over, Tampa businesses are calling this weekend a “slam dunk.” This is the fourth time the city has hosted the NCAA women’s basketball Final Four, and it’s not just basketball fans who are winning.
From bars to hotel lobbies, Tampa’s been packed with fans, and business owners are feeling the impact of the NCAA Final Four’s boost.
“It’s been awesome to have everybody down here, people from all over really coming, enjoying it. We’ve seen a boost in the business surpassing the days that was a concert in Curtis Hixon Park. We had a lot of people come from that afterward, Friday after the game, and even during the game we saw a lot of traffic in here and expect even more after the Sunday night game,” said Michael Przybycin, at Gen X Tavern.
Downtown restaurants, like Gen X Tavern, said they’ve seen big crowds before but nothing quite like this.
“Any time any of the conventions or big sporting events come to town and everybody comes together to bring these huge events to Tampa, all of us, big and small businesses, all benefit from that. It’s been awesome,” Przybycin said.
Hotels near Amalie Arena, where the games took place, are also booked to capacity. At the Tampa Riverwalk Hotel, rooms were spoken for even before fans knew who would be playing.
“Coming from across the country. A lot of people are here just to experience the game itself. They were booked way before the teams were even announced, so just really excited to have some friendly competition,” Frank said.
The city last hosted the women’s Final Four in 2019, and in 2018, the tournament generated $19 million in economic impact.