Championships generate revenue , good will
Hosting NCAA championships is always an honor, but coupled with the restrictions and protocols surrounding COVID-19, it proved no small feat to undertake events of such magnitude — and Mercyhurst was on the leading edge when it came to hosting championships during a pandemic. Not only did the Mercyhurst Athletic Department host the Division I Women’s Hockey Frozen Four, but it partnered with the Erie Sports Commission to hold three Division II regional events: Super Region I Wrestling, Men’s Golf East/Atlantic Super Regional, and the Men’s Lacrosse North Regional. The university also hosted the Division I College Hockey America Tournament. The DII Wrestling Regional, held February 28 at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, was the frst DII championship event held in more than a year and the frst with the increased COVID protocols. The Women’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four was the frst Division I team championship hosted under the new guidelines as well. “It takes a considerable amount of time, energy, and dedication to host an NCAA tournament and this year was even more challenging,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert on hosting the
Women’s Frozen Four. “It is a tribute to Mercyhurst University to have successfully conducted an outstanding event with the added complexities and health requirements due to COVID-19.” The impact of hosting championship events is not only felt by the university, but also by the larger Erie community. Between the two women’s hockey tournaments, there was roughly $1.1 million of economic impact focused mostly on the hospitality industry with more than $45,000 in meals for teams and staf alone. The Frozen Four, held March 15-20 at Erie Insurance Arena, marked the frst collegiate event in nearly a year that had a limited number of tickets available to the public, and Erie was on full display with more than 26 million impressions on social media and 100,000 live viewers on ESPN. During the two-weekend men’s lacrosse regional, players and fans booked more than 1,000 nights of hotel rooms in Erie. The Regional Championship between Mercyhurst and Le Moyne had more than 750 fans in attendance and marked the frst event on campus that did not require masks for vaccinated fans.
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