For any self-proclaimed fan of college sports in the United States, Women’s March Madness is where it’s at. It’s the perfect platform for eagle eyed-viewers to do some armchair scouting at home, bringing with it all the drama, intrigue, and subplots. You could even perhaps call it the biggest soap opera in women’s college sports. All this to say that it is a veritable sporting feast for everyone involved. And that includes the financial boons that it brings to the host cities. And as Tampa gears up to host the Women’s Final Four in the coming days, it will be no exception as far as economic impact is concerned.

But to give you some context behind Tampa’s upcoming windfall, let’s go all the way back to the 2018 Women’s Final Four, hosted in Columbus, Ohio. In an economic impact study conducted by the Performance Research for the Columbus Local Organizing Committee, they found that the event brought in $21.7 million in direct visitor spending to the city. But the financial bonuses don’t end there, as the study also examined the impact of out-of-state visitors. “Close to 20,000 unique visitors from outside Central Ohio generated $5.9 million in spending alone from 32,747 hotel room nights.”

This is in addition to the hundreds of full- or part-time jobs that were created for the tournament (377 to be specific) in the hospitality and retail sectors. The data from 2018 surpassed what was recorded in Dallas in 2017, and in the subsequent years, these numbers have only continued to trend upwards. Which then brings us to Tampa 2025.

Now it’s too early for hard numbers, but it is projected that Tampa will see increased financial benefits, as compared to previous iterations of the tournament, which we will get to in just a minute. With the Amalie Arena set to host, the hotels, restaurants, and bars nearby are ready to welcome a surge of visitors from all over the country, with many expected to be around for the entire weekend.

And with tickets expected to be sold out for all 3 games, this year’s Women’s Final Four could potentially compare to some of the major sporting events that Tampa has been home to, including Super Bowl LV, WrestleMania 37, and the upcoming NHL Stadium Series in 2026.

This is also the biggest testament to the remarkable growth the women’s game has experienced in recent years. Because at the end of the day, the numbers don’t lie. So let’s look at some of the recent versions of the Women’s Final Four to see the kind of financial impact Tampa is set to enjoy.

The popularity of the Women’s Final Four is only growing

Looking at an overall picture, the Women’s Division 1 Basketball Championship brought in $600 million in revenue back in 2022 in Minneapolis. The figure will have a significant increase this time around, with ESPN signing a $920 million broadcast deal. Additionally, record-breaking attendance and consistent ratings have validated the popularity of the event. As more and more people attend the business end of the tournament, sectors like hospitality, transportation, and tourism also receive a massive boost simultaneously, as it is a win-win situation for the host city.

Back in 2023, when Dallas hosted the NCAA Women’s Basketball Finals, it brought in a revenue of over $40.3 million in the city. Similarly, last year’s edition in Cleveland provided the city with a direct spend of $32.9 million. The sum is only expected to increase this year as the hype surrounding the tournament reaches sky-high.

And last year’s Women’s Final Four was one of the most exciting matches in the tournament’s history as South Carolina won the title. With Cleveland turning out to be the perfect host, it also received a return gift in the form of an economic boost. Thus, David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland, was all praise for the tournament’s hosts.

He said, “Hosting the Women’s Final Four was a proud moment for the city of Cleveland. Our city has earned a reputation for being one of the top cities in America for hosting events, and it took us a long time to get there. We’ve hosted a lot of great events, including a Women’s Final Four back in 2007, but this one was special. We are incredibly lucky to have been selected to host this event during the rise in women’s basketball. The influx of visitors significantly boosted our local economy during this historic weekend.”

Thus, it would be no surprise that Tampa would receive a huge economic boost from the successful conduct of the tournament. As a result, even the universities are able to invest heavily in their squads, and this provides the perfect ecosystem for college sports. All this is directly related to the growing popularity of women’s basketball over the recent years. Interestingly, last year, the women’s championship game drew in 18.9 million viewers, while the men’s championship game had 14.8 million viewers. Thus, it is no surprise that there would be a massive influx of fans this week at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa.