Huntsville, Alabama’s Joel Lamp champions sports and communities
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Sports rakes in record $51 million for Huntsville in 2024, report says
Sporting events proved to be a financial bonanza for the city of Huntsville in 2024. 68 sporting events brought in a record $51 million last year. The Conference USA men’s and women’s basketball championships, hosted in the Rocket City for the first time, led the way with $3.2 million in economic impact. Huntsville also ran the NCAA Division II Cross Country South Regional for the. first time – continuing Huntsville’s streak to four straight years with a NCAA postseason cross country race. It is a streak that will continue at a minimum through 2027 as Huntsville was selected by the NCAA to host the Division II regionals in 2026, 2027, and 2027 national championship in 2025. A record-setting Huntsville Marathon also sold out with 4,000 participants. The tournament will be held March 11-15 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. The city is also shaping up to be the host of the Conference USA Tournament for this year’S tournament.
According to a report by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 68 sporting events brought in a record $51 million last year.
“Sports tourism has made a significant and positive impact on Huntsville’s economy,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle told AL.com. “Attracting visitors to our city generates revenue that helps to bolster our hospitality, restaurant and entertainment business offerings and that improves quality of life for everyone.”
The mayor credited the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Huntsville Sports Commission for their “continued efforts in bringing world-class sports events to our community for everyone to enjoy.”
“We have come a long way over the last few years, and 2024 showed what sports can do in Huntsville,” added Joel Lamp, sports development manager for the Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Everyone on our sports tourism team put a lot of hard work to make such a massive impact to have this be a special year and set the table for us to reach even greater heights in the future. “
In total, the events brought $51,303,193 into the Huntsville economy – buoyed by 21 events that produced at least $1 million in economic impact each.
“This was an exciting year for sports in Huntsville and the impact it had on the community,” said Mark Russell, executive director of the Huntsville Sports Commission (HSC). “We were fortunate to host a number of memorable events that elevated Huntsville’s profile, while bringing in significant dollars to our hospitality community and look forward to more growth in the coming year.”
Over the course of the year, sports tourism produced more than 76,000 hotel room nights and generated more than $3.8 million in taxes for the city.
The Conference USA men’s and women’s basketball championships, hosted in the Rocket City for the first time, led the way with $3.2 million in economic impact.
“The Conference USA Tournament is a huge event for us in a number of aspects,” Lamp said. “Obviously room nights and the economic impact, but it’s a different way to tell Huntsville’s story. We got four nationally televised games, live from Huntsville, Alabama. So, we’re able to show there’s a quality of life increase in Huntsville. There are things to do. And it allowed us to showcase the city in a different way.”
Other highlights included hosting the USA Table Tennis National Championships – the first time a national governing body hosted its national championship in Huntsville. HSC and the CVB were recognized as a Champion of Economic Impact by Sports Destination Management magazine for their efforts with the event.
“They’ve never been to the Southeast before for their national championship,” Lamp said. “We were able to bring in close to 700 athletes for at least five days, some six to eight days. It was a huge uptick around the 4th of July when it’s not as big of a tourism weekend.”
Huntsville also hosted the NJCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer championships at the Spencer Sports Complex and Joe Davis Stadium, producing more than 2,000 room nights over the course of the week.
“The big thing about that is there is a huge number of teams,” Lamp said. “We had 24 teams in town for a minimum of four days, some of them for eight. That one produced easily 2,000-room nights in November, which is a need time for us from a tourism standpoint.”
Huntsville also ran the NCAA Division II Cross Country South Regional for the first time – continuing Huntsville’s streak to four straight years with a NCAA postseason cross country race. It is a streak that will continue at a minimum through 2027 as Huntsville was selected to host the NCAA Division II regionals in 2026, Division I regionals in 2027, and Division II national championship in 2027.
A record-setting Huntsville Marathon also sold out with 4,000 participants.
Lamp said 2025 is also shaping up to be a strong year for Huntsville. He said ticket sales were “trending up” for this year’s Conference USA Tournament. The tournament will be held March 11-15 at the Von Braun Center’s Propst Arena.
“We’ve got another team in the conference now, so they’ve got 10 teams, thanks to Kennesaw State joining the league,” Lamp said. “We’ve got a wide footprint from Miami to New Mexico, all the way north to Virginia. We’ve got a lot of fans that are within six to eight hours of Huntsville who can drive in as their team advances. We saw that last year. Our attendance picked up Friday for the semifinals, and then we had great crowds for the men’s and women’s championships.”
There is also the Rocket City Softball Showcase coming up in three weeks at Toyota Field.
“It’s a week of college softball and then one day of high school softball,” Lamp said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to get a foothold in the college softball market.”
There is also Major League Fishing’s REDCREST, “which is their version of Bassmaster,” Lamp said.
“So, we’ve got their Super Bowl here in the first weekend of April,” he said. “First quarter of the year, we’ve got a lot of big stuff coming.”
Shooting stars: CUSA program champions Huntsville’s career options
The “Stars of Tomorrow’’ program is a collaboration between CUSA and the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber. Students selected were given paid trips to the city, where they toured sites and met with local businesses. The tournament games were broadcast by ESPN+ and CBS Sports Network. The students were also honored during halftime of the games.“It’s not the student-athletes, but the students that have an interest in the programs in the areas that Huntsville is so great with,’’ CUSA commissioner Judy MacLeod said. “It gives our kids another chance to see life after college and it gives Huntsville a chance to recruit the best and the brightest.’ ‘I didn’t realize how big Huntsville was,’ said New Orleans native Dereck DeAgano, a civil engineering major from Louisiana Tech in Ruston. � “I thought it was a smaller town, closer to Ruston and Monroe (La.) vibes. So I think it was more somewhat like a shock’
Instead, CUSA started its “Stars of Tomorrow‘’ program, an initiative the league devised to combine sports and career development to offer top students from member institutions an opportunity to engage with industry professionals and explore career opportunities in Huntsville.
The catch: The 19 students chosen from the conference’s 10 schools to participate were not among the athletes playing hoops inside the VBC’s Propst Arena, but from the general student population.
The project is a collaboration between CUSA and the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber. Students selected were given paid trips to the city, where they toured sites and met with representatives from local businesses.
“I would say that one thing we’re super excited about is this workforce development program we’re doing with the chamber,’’ Judy MacLeod, CUSA commissioner, told reporters at a pre-tournament media conference. “We’re bringing students in from all 10 of our schools and they’ll meet with the chamber, meet with corporations, meet with business people, do some things here (at the VBC), get some experience and then we’re gonna have them interview on ESPN+.’’
The tournament games were broadcast by ESPN+ and CBS Sports Network. The students were also honored during halftime of the games.
“It’s not the student-athletes, but it’s the students that have an interest in the programs in the areas that Huntsville is so great with,’’ MacLeod added. “And so it gives our kids another chance to see life after college and it gives Huntsville a chance to recruit the best and the brightest. So we’re really thankful for the chamber and working on that (with CUSA) and excited to see what happens.’’
Participating companies were Radiance Technologies, ManTech, BDO, Huntsville Hospital, TOC, Huntsville Utilities, Qualis and the U.S. Army.
“The partnership with CUSA goes beyond the court, and the Stars of Tomorrow program enables us to tell the Huntsville story in a different way,” said Joel Lamp, sports development manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Two attending students — New Mexico State’s Bethany Chacon and Louisiana Tech’s Dereck DeAgano — told the Huntsville Business Journal they were impressed following their visit.
“I really liked it,’’ said Chacon, an Albuquerque native and criminal justice/mechanical engineering major set to graduate in May. “I’ve been to other Southern states, but I hadn’t been to Alabama. It was absolutely different from what I was expecting, but in a really good way. I thought it was cool. One of my professors does work there sometimes, and she said it was upcoming — the aerospace industry — and she wasn’t wrong.’’
DeAgano, a civil engineering major from Louisiana Tech in Ruston, was likewise surprised.
“I didn’t realize how big Huntsville was,’’ said DeAgano, a New Orleans native. “That was like my first kind of shocking thing. You hear, like, it’s the Rocket City, but I guess in my head that’s so long ago I didn’t realize how prevalent everything still was in Huntsville. So I think it was more somewhat like a shock. I thought it was a smaller town, closer to Ruston and Monroe (La.) vibes.’’
DeAgano added that despite Huntsville’s newfound fame as the largest city in Alabama, he sensed its roots were dug into down-home tenets not seen in the likes of California, Seattle or Washington, D.C. — other cities that are known as technology hubs.
“There were a lot of people giving more family-oriented and small-town vibes,’’ he said. “I have always considered myself a very family-oriented person. So, hearing a lot of the stories of people who are in the defense industry, and they were working in Washington or working in these very highly-populated areas, and wanting to come to Huntsville and be able to have the more family-balanced life, I think was a lot more impactful on me of what I took away from (the trip),’’
Annie Davis, talent director for the chamber, said, “As these students take the next steps in their careers, we want to ensure that they consider Huntsville as a promising start.’’
The Stars of Tomorrow program certainly planted seeds.
“I really liked Huntsville,’’ Chacon said.
Conference USA Basketball Championships adds millions to city coffers
The Conference USA Basketball Championships begin today. The action begins today at 11:30 a.m. with two women’s games. The games through Thursday in both tournaments will be televised by ESPN+. The city and CUSA entered into a three-year contract to host the tournaments in Huntsville with one year left on the current deal. Last year’s event had a $3.2 million economic impact in the city. The defending champions are MTSU for the women and Western Kentucky for the men. Winners get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Monday night, on the heels of the “Elevate the Stage’’ gymnastics meet featuring Alabama, California, North Carolina and Michigan State it looked as if workers had the venue well on the way to ready for the start of the Conference USA Basketball Championships.
The action begins today at 11:30 a.m. with two women’s games, followed by two men’s games set for a 5:30 p.m. start. The games through Thursday in both tournaments will be televised by ESPN+. Friday’s semifinals will be split by CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) broadcasting the men and ESPN+ the women. Saturday’s finals will be carried by CBSSN.
“Last year was a great success for us and we’re looking to build on that,’’ CUSA Commissioner Judy MacLeod said Monday at the VBC.
The city and CUSA entered into a three-year contract to host the tournaments in Huntsville with one year left on the current deal. Last year’s event had a $3.2 million economic impact in the city.
“Depending on what happens with the results (today-Thursday), Friday and Saturday could pick up some more from last year,’’ said Joel Lamp, the sports development manager for the Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “3.2 is kind of a baseline number but as this continues to grow, our economic impact number is gonna grow the more we become a bigger destination to the teams.’’
CUSA added Kennessaw State to the league, putting the field at 10 schools instead of 2024’s nine. They joined Florida International, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State (MTSU), New Mexico State, Sam Houston, Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and Western Kentucky.
Defending champions are MTSU for the women and Western Kentucky for the men. Winners get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“Last year was awesome and we had schools within driving distance,’’ MacLeod said. “Their fans came out in droves so that was really fantastic. You know, we need to get more of the local community to come out. Our basketball is much improved this year and we’re really looking forward to some great basketball action.’’
Brackets and gametimes can be found at www.conferenceusa.com.
Disc golf world championship coming to Huntsville area
The Professional Disc Golf Association announced last week it would hold its 2027 amateur world championship at courses in Huntsville, Madison and Madison County. The region hosted previous PDGA world championships in 1983 and 1993. The event is projected to attract more than 450 competitors for a week of competition and activities, generate more than 2,500 room nights, and have an estimated economic impact of more than $2.1 million.
The Professional Disc Golf Association announced last week it would hold its 2027 amateur world championship at courses in Huntsville, Madison and Madison County.
Huntsville was one of 10 cities to bid to host the event, according to the PDGA. The region hosted previous PDGA world championships in 1983 and 1993. Huntsville is also the home of PDGA Hall of Fame members Tom Monroe and Lavone Wolfe.
“With our long history and enthusiasm for the sport, the championship provides an exciting opportunity for our community to showcase what we offer disc golf players and supporters,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said in a news release.
The tournament will be played on courses at John Hunt Park and Mastin Lake Park in Huntsville; Sunshine Oaks in Madison; and Sharon Johnston Park in New Market.
“This is a special opportunity for our entire community to welcome the world championships,” Madison Mayor Paul Finley said. “We have a large and growing disc golf community that has worked hard with city leaders to make sure our courses meet the requirements to host an event of this size.”
The event is projected to attract more than 450 competitors for a week of competition and activities, generate more than 2,500 room nights, and have an estimated economic impact of more than $2.1 million, according to a Madison news release.
Joel Lamp, sports development manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said a “tremendous team effort” led up to securing the world championship.
“This event will bring a significant economic impact to our region during the summer of 2027 and is yet another opportunity to showcase the beauty that is all across Madison County.”
Huntsville sets new sports tourism record with $50M economic impact
The end of 2024 marked major milestone for the sports tourism team in Huntsville. 68 events that produced more than $50 million in economic impact. 21 events funneled in at least $1 million each into the Rocket City’s economy. The Conference USA men’s and women’s basketball championships led the way with $3.2 million.
The Rocket City reports the end of 2024 marked major milestone for the sports tourism team in Huntsville: hosting 68 events that produced more than $50 million in economic impact.
“We have come a long way over the last few years, and 2024 showed what sports can do in Huntsville. Everyone on our sports tourism team put a lot of hard work to make such a massive impact to have this be a special year and set the table for us to reach even greater heights in the future,” said Joel Lamp, sports development manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau in a press release.
In total, the city reports the events brought $51.3 million into the Huntsville economy from 21 events that funneled in at least $1 million each into the Rocket City’s economy.
The Conference USA men’s and women’s basketball championships, hosted in Huntsville for the first time, led the way with $3.2 million in economic impact.
“This was an exciting year for sports in Huntsville and the impact it had on the community,” said Mark Russell, executive director of the Huntsville Sports Commission in the press release. “We were fortunate to host a number of memorable events that elevated Huntsville’s profile, while bringing in significant dollars to our hospitality community and look forward to more growth in the coming year.”
Over the course of the year, sports tourism produced more than 76,000 hotel room nights and generated more than $3.8 million in taxes for the city. Some of the highlights include: