Arizona State University researchers say this year the Cactus League added nearly a half-billion dollars to Arizona’s gross domestic product, while drawing the most attendance in almost a decade.
The Cactus League has long commissioned ASU to study the economic impact of spring training, when half of Major League Baseball calls metro Phoenix home.
Researchers interviewed thousands of out of state visitors at games to measure new money flowing into the state.
They concluded that the event added roughly $496 million to Arizona’s gross domestic product.
“And those fans spend time and money visiting other areas of Arizona. So the impact is felt far beyond the Cactus League footprint. And we’re really proud of that,” said Bridget Binsbacher, executive director of the Cactus League.
ASU researchers also found that roughly one in five people who came to metro Phoenix for spring training this year also had plans to visit another part of Arizona.
“Every March, while parts of the company are digging out of the snow, we offer an escape to bright blue skies, sunshine and outdoor fun,” said Alix Skelpsa Ridgway, director of the state Tourism Office.
Among the most popular places for spring training fans to visit were Sedona, the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.
Spring training drew roughly 1.8 million people to Cactus League games, which is the most since 2018.
-
ESPN is reporting the Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a deal to trade wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to a mystery team. Harrison, the son of Hall of Famer wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., will be inactive on Sunday against the Detroit Lions while the deal is finalized. -
Kerr Kriisa, an Estonian national, became a fan favorite while at UA from 2020 through the spring of 2023. -
Terry Greene Sterling has lived in the same peaceful neighborhood for most of her life. But recently, a sport that's allegedly grown popular has been disrupting that space. -
What is the purpose of these so-called military-style workouts in collegiate or professional sports? Why are they prominent today? -
Hunters and hikers were among almost 133,000 people opposing potential changes to the Travel Management Rule in national forests. Snowmobile groups were in the minority.
