NCAA volleyball attendance shows Columbus a women’s sports mecca
On Saturday, Columbus broke the NCAA women’s volleyball championship game attendance record, with 18,755 watching the final at Nationwide Arena between Wisconsin and Nebraska and solidifying the credibility of the city and venue as a destination for some of the biggest women’s sports events in the country.
The total attendance for the final four and championship match was 35,286 — only 2,000 off from the 2017 NCAA volleyball final four record in Kansas City when Nebraska won a championship three hours from its campus. But 2021 surpassed the total attendance of 34,015 in 2016 when Columbus first hosted the event.
The success of the tournament built upon the 2018 women’s basketball final four that had a then-record crowd of 39,123, which is even more impressive considering Nationwide Arena has a capacity of 19,500 for basketball.
Columbus a top venue for women’s sports
The 2018 NCAA women’s basketball and 2021 NCAA women’s volleyball final fours produced some of the most memorable games in the sports’ histories. They also proved what Linda Logan knew to be true: Columbus residents want high-level women’s athletics and the city can put on a great event.
“Obviously we don’t have that domed stadium to host a men’s Final Four, but we know what our sweet spot is,” said Logan, the executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. “In this case, both the women’s final four and volleyball championships are in that wheelhouse.”
While Nebraska and Wisconsin have two of the strongest fan bases for volleyball in the country, it’s impressive that the venue was at 96% capacity without Ohio State in the game. It’s even more impressive considering women’s college basketball receives more television and media exposure than women’s volleyball throughout the season and NCAA tournament, yet the crowds were similar.
Ohio State women’s volleyball coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said the crowd showed the type of excitement there is for volleyball in Columbus.
“For us to sell out on a night like that and not have Ohio State in the finals, I think that speaks volumes for where the growth is for the game of volleyball,” Oldenburg said. “It’s cool to see some of the younger generations taking pictures with the court in the background, like, we’re here, we’re ready for it.”
Attracting more NCAA women’s marquee sports events to Columbus
Hosting events have a virtuous cycle, helping the commission pump more money into marketing the city to gain more events that help the local economy. Logan expects the economic impact of the 2021 volleyball final four to be in the $14-16 million range, similar to 2016. The Commission-led study estimated $21.7 million was gained from the 2018 basketball final four.
Logan said the Commission plans to continue to bid for the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball final four, with the next available event in 2026. Hosting another women’s basketball final four depends on whether the NCAA decides to put it at the same venue as the men’s final four beginning in 2027. If so, hosting an NCAA regional is a target for the commission.
In bids to host these events, Logan said the commission centers around easy access and everything Columbus has to offer within walking distance of the venue. Also part of it is the collaboration between Ohio State, the commission and Nationwide Arena as well as the ability to customize new experiences for the athletes.
Nebraska coach John Cook, who has been to 10 final fours, went out of his way to compliment Columbus’ creativity in having a welcome message from parents of players when the teams arrived at the hotel. Oldenburg gave credit to her director of operations, Caitlin Insana, for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work on Ohio State’s side.
Oldenburg saw the crowd on Saturday night as an example of the excitement her program can tap into. If Ohio State can draw a more consistent excitement, Columbus could be rewarded with more championship events like it.
“We want to be that event in the fall when football’s not in town,” Oldenburg said. “Can we be a premier event to go to? I think that would be pretty awesome.”
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