Elite women's basketball in Charlotte is good for business
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The inaugural Ally Tipoff in November 2023. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
The Ally Tipoff returns to Uptown this weekend.
Why it matters: Sunday's elite women's basketball doubleheader at Spectrum Center is an investment in women's sports that will draw thousands to Charlotte.
By the numbers: Last fall, 15,196 people attended the inaugural Ally Tipoff, which the Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF) organized, between Iowa and Virginia Tech. Many came to see Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
- 7,600 people traveled to Charlotte, generating nearly 2,800 hotel room stays, per Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA).
- The 2023 game produced $2.5 million in economic impact and $1.4 million in direct spending, per CRVA.
Driving the news: No. 1 South Carolina plays No. 9 N.C. State at 3pm on Nov. 10. The game will air on ESPN. Virginia Tech plays Iowa at 5:30pm, which will be broadcast on ESPN2. You can stream the games here.
- South Carolina is the reigning national champion, N.C. State and Iowa also appeared in the Final Four earlier this year.
What they're saying: "This is a business decision, and it's an investment that gets a good return," CSF executive director Danny Morrison tells Axios of investing in women's sports.
- The goal is to make the Ally Tipoff the premier regular season tipoff event in the country, Morrison adds. They expect a similar turnout to what they had last year.
If you go: Tickets start at $26. Your ticket gets you into both games.
- Keep in mind, Spectrum Center has a new bag policy.
- There are plenty of parking decks and lots around the arena, plus the CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar and the Lynx Blue Line both have stops right outside the arena.
Zoom in: Ally Financial has signed on as the event's title sponsor through 2026. The event needs time to grow and now it's time to make it a staple in women's college basketball every year, Ally chief marketing officer Andrea Brimmer tells Axios.
Zoom out: The event has also brought on new sponsors Hendrick Automotive and Belk. They're also working with Charlotte-based apparel brand Girl Tribe.
- Girl Tribe is working with Belk to make exclusive T-shirts for the players. The officially licensed shirts for each school will be available at their South End store and on their website.
- Girl Tribe is also working with CSF to create a limited-edition Charlotte skyline sweatshirt for the game, which will be available at the arena on Sunday and on girltribeco.com.
The big picture: The atmosphere at last year's game rivaled the Final Four, then Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks told reporters following the game. Charlotte hosted a women's Final Four in 1996, and Morrison is confident the city could do it again.
- "Charlotte, quite frankly, already has a reputation of delivering on high profile, big-time sporting events, so I don't think there would be any question that if Charlotte had a Final Four, it would be fabulous," Morrison says.
