Olympic City earning its namesake? New report says so

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Sporting events contribute nearly $300 million to the Pikes Peak region's economy each year, according to a report from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.

The Air Force Academy played six games this fall at Falcon Stadium.

Whether it's a game you can enjoy in the Olympic City every year, or a one-time event like the U.S. Senior Open, the findings from the Pikes Peak Sports Economy Report suggest you shouldn't think of these events in a vacuum.

Attendees often come from out of town, stay in the area, and spend their money outside the stadium.

Even with no professional teams across the four major U.S. sports, sporting events make a significant economic impact on the region.

"We have so many sectors in our community, military and defense. But the sports economy is a huge piece," said Megan Leatham, President and CEO of Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.

That number includes attendance, employment, and hotel room bookings around several of the region's high-profile sporting events. It does not include outdoor recreation, like those who visit to hike the Barr Trail.

According to Leatham, the two are connected.

"If we can get people here for a sporting event, the odds are they are going to stay more than one night, two nights, three nights, because of the outdoor recreation we can offer," said Leatham.

For every dollar spent locally to put on a sporting event, the report says it leads to $1.83 in economic output, $2.02 of added value to the Pikes Peak region, and 2.38 jobs generated in the community for every sports job.

To get a sense of this impact, I went to the home of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and the Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou Springs.

"You're meeting people from all over the country, all over the world," said Joel Belin, Operations Manager at Mountain High Gallery and Gifts.

Belin says not everyone comes in to buy a shirt.

"It's more food beverages, stuff like that," said Belin.

But those few weekends each year make a difference.

"We have a cooler with bottles of water in it. On an average summer day, you refill it at the end of the day. This last year's coffin races, I was refilling the coolers constantly because of how busy it was," said Belin.

So what does this mean for sports growth in Colorado Springs? Leatham says the next big step involves adding a multi-use sports complex.

She announced Wednesday the Sports Corporation has a 138-acre plot of land off Banning Lewis Road and Woodmen Road, which could serve as a home for things like future basketball tournaments and swim meets in the Olympic City as soon as 2029.

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