#4 Louisville
▶ RÉSUMÉ: Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Greg Fante likes to say that Louisville invented the sports tourism industry in the United States. This year’s Kentucky Derby is the 150th that will take place in the city. Perhaps influenced by the Derby, the commission likes continuity in its relationships.
“We are less transactional” with event organizers, Fante said, “[and more] ‘how are we going to form a successful partnership where you’re going to be here every year?’”
Horse racing, including the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup, are obvious draws to Louisville. But the city’s sports event-hosting business also benefits from its proximity to the East Coast and Midwest (including an ongoing $400 million airport renovation), as well as its facilities investments in recent years. The 15,000-seat Lynn Family Stadium opened in 2020 and enabled the city to host its first NCAA Men’s College Cup in December. The 3-year-old, 4,000-seat Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center, owned and operated by Louisville’s Urban League chapter, is one of the top-dozen indoor track and field facilities in the country.
The Derby City BMX facility, an Olympic-caliber BMX setup, has attracted global events, and the Louisville Sports Commission owns and operates the country’s largest annual cross-country meet at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, where the city has hosted NCAA national championships for all three divisions.
▶ DEVELOPMENT: KFC Yum! Center; Churchill Downs (which has invested roughly $335 million during the last few years in the lead-up to the 150th Derby in May); $53 million Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center; $65 million Lynn Family Stadium; and L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (Louisville football). FUNDING FOR THE SPORTS COMMISSION: About 25% comes from Louisville Tourism, but the sports commission owns and operates nine events, as well as the Paul Hornung Award and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, all of which generate revenue.
▶ STAY AND PLAY: Get a personalized bat made at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory or dive deep on the most famous person to hail from Louisville at the Muhammad Ali Center.