Sports tournaments expected to bring $6.7M in spending

As basketball players and their fans converge on the city of Springfield this month for a pair of tournaments, millions of dollars in economic impact is expected to follow.

The National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Championships is projected to result in spending of about $4.2 million by attendees. More than 350 teams are competing, and an estimated 8,000 hotel room nights are expected to be booked for the March 14-18 tournament, according to a news release.

Attendance is projected at 36,000-40,000 for the Missouri State High School Activities Association state basketball championships scheduled March 10-12 and March 17-19. Up to 6,000 room nights are expected, with spending estimated at $2.5 million.

"March is electric for hoops fans in our region,” said Lance Kettering, executive director of the Springfield Sports Commission, in the release.