Industries

Sports Tourism Development

Where athletic competition meets destination-building success

Use sports tourism as a catalyst for growth

The destination athletic event segment is one of the fastest-growing segments of the global travel industry, with more communities recognizing the tremendous benefits of hosting sports competitions. Standing in the way of many communities, DMOs, and CVBs are

• A lack of tournament‑ready, right‑sized facilities. This leaves CVBs selling a destination that can’t actually host the events they’re targeting.

• Understaffed CVB sports sales teams. These teams struggle to consistently prospect, bid, negotiate, and service enough events to grow their sports tourism pipeline.

• Competing demands for visitors and local access, which creates political risk when residents feel displaced from their own facilities.

In hotel and visitor spend annually

$ million+

Communities served

Actively being built in a phase of construction

$ 0 million+

In Economic Impact by SFC Run Facilities

$ Million

Communities served

Fully integrated process

SFC is the only firm that delivers every stage of the project life cycle in house: planning, feasibility, funding, development, and operations. That means your vision is guided by one accountable partner who ensures consistency, efficiency, and success from first idea to opening day.

Extensive experience & proven results

Since 2003, SFC has supported 3,500+ communities in planning, funding, developing, and managing sports and event venues, generating over 30 million annual visits and significant economic impact.

A nationwide team

Operating 100+ properties across the U.S., SFC brings the strength of 5,000+ team members and 100+ subject matter experts, delivering proven experience and support to help your facility succeed.

Network power

When working with SFC, your facility becomes part of the SF Network, the largest collection of sports and recreation venues in the nation. This means your facility benefits from a wealth of resources and industry knowledge.

Development knowledge

Multisport facilities require balance: field configurations, surface selection, lighting, and scheduling systems that accommodate everything from basketball and volleyball to baseball, soccer, and pickleball. Our team’s operational experience spans all of them, allowing us to design and manage spaces that maximize both utilization and community engagement.

Programming expertise

With experience operating some of the nation’s most successful venues, we have developed programming and events that engage your community and build connections to your facility.

See why we’re trusted by communities nationwide

“The information and research that we received from SFC has helped me in my role of educating the community, especially city leadership, on the importance of focusing on sports tourism.”

Ben Snyder
Executive Director
Grand Junction Sports Commission

“It was great to see the different levels of services and the understanding that SFC brought to the table. They provide a diverse range of services, and it really met the goals we were looking to achieve.”

Gumaro Martinez
Executive Director of Parks and Leisure Services
City of Waxahachie, TX

“Searching far and wide, SFC stood out above the crowd and not only for how they run a facility but how they run their business. I think that speaks volumes to their leadership. I think that speaks volumes to their track record, and I’m excited to work hand in hand at Visit Macon with SFC on making this building a success.”

Gary Wheat
President/CEO
Visit Macon

Our trusted partners and clients over the years

Featured Team Leader

Jason has led the Sports Facilities Companies’ (SFC) growth as Co-Founder and CEO, expanding the firm from industry-leading feasibility study and financial modeling services into a destination development company providing finance, development, and outsourced management. SFC has become the largest single network of tournament and community-based sports facilities in the U.S.

The SF Network has grown to over a 5,000+ person team, working on over $15 billion in developments, hosting over 30 million visits annually, and producing $1 billion in direct annual economic impact to the communities it serves.

To learn more about Jason and the other members of our outstanding team, visit our team page.

Download

Sports Tourism Guide

SFC can help you unlock play-and-stay success with proven strategies to attract events, fill hotels, and impress stakeholders. Download our guide to learn more.

Let us help you turn game days into getaways

Convert tournaments into economic momentum. As your trusted partner, SFC brings strategy, systems, and support to grow results fast.

Join the SFC team

Live the mission of improving communities through sports. Be part of the Sports Facilities Companies team today.

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Sports Tourism Development

Use sports tourism as a catalyst for growth

Challenge: Tournament Ready Venue Development

Challenge: Extending The Sports Sales & Booking Engine

Challenge: Balanced Community & Tourism Model

Virginia Beach Sports Center

Legends Event Center

Elizabethtown Sports Park

Why choose the Sports Facilities Companies