Minneapolis has a ten-year plan comprising of six “big ideas,” with one being to “establish Minneapolis as the No. 1 city for women’s sports,” according to Katie Galioto of the MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE. Minneapolis tourism officials indicated that they want the city to be “known for vibrant nightlife, a bustling riverfront, a modernized convention center, as a women’s sports epicenter and as a social justice capital.” These goals and more come from Meet Minneapolis, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, and its 39-page destination master plan that “aims ‘to optimize Minneapolis’ visitor economy to ensure year-round vibrancy, a thriving downtown and radiant cultural hubs.’” Meet Minneapolis President & CEO Melvin Tennant “celebrated wins for local tourism in 2024.” For the first time since 2019, the city filled more than 2 million hotel rooms, playing host to national events like the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials and Big Ten basketball tournaments. Minneapolis has “become a hub of sorts for women’s sports at the youth, collegiate and professional levels thanks to successful athletes, coaches and franchises” -- something that became “even more evident” with the popularity of last year’s gymnastic trials, the Lynx’s playoff run and the women’s Big Ten basketball tournament. Tennant said, “It is a level of activity and a level of interest in a segment of sports that no other city can claim. We clearly have something to build on” (MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE, 2/26).
Minneapolis making push to be women’s sports hub
