PHOENIX — Arizona’s spring training stadiums are no longer viewed as venues used only during March. The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority has worked to transform Cactus League ballparks into year-round economic engines — and it's working.
This week, for the first time ever, the Big 12 Baseball Tournament is being played at Surprise Stadium.
This event alone is bringing major college programs, traveling fans, and national attention to Arizona.
But the tournament itself is part of a much bigger strategy to generate more tourism dollars for the state of Arizona.
The money comes from fans spending on hotel rooms, restaurants, rental cars, and entertainment.
The Big 12 is not the only conference now using Cactus League facilities.
This week:
- Surprise Stadium is hosting the Big 12 Tournament
- Sloan Park is hosting the Mountain West Tournament
- Hohokam Stadium is hosting the WAC Tournament
- Scottsdale Stadium is hosting the West Coast Conference Tournament
The growing number of events signals a larger shift in Arizona sports tourism using existing spring training infrastructure to attract major events throughout the calendar year.
