NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament Helps to Lift College Sports Out of COVID’s Shadow

January 5th, 2022 |

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament bolstered the local economy by about $46.5 million when it was held in central Indiana earlier this year, according to a new research study conducted by Rockport Analytics.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire tournament was played in one state for the first time. The study found about 66,000 “unique fans” attended games in Indianapolis, Bloomington and West Lafayette during the tournament, which took place from March 18 to April 5. Total attendance for the 68-team event was 173,592. Learn more.