How women kept the Twin Cities on the map of major sporting events

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Compare it to the Caitlin Clark fever. Maybe that sparked my imagination when I heard Wendy Blackshaw say that the Twin Cities has the potential to be known as the nation’s No. 1 market for major women’s sporting events.

Clark, I don’t need to tell you, is the Iowa Hawkeyes star whose dead-eyed three-point shots awakened a nation to the joy of women’s basketball.

Blackshaw deserves an introduction. She is the president and CEO of Minnesota Sports and Events (MnS&E). It is the nonprofit organization formed in June 2020 to combine the efforts of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington to provide, host and host major collegiate and professional competitions.

I can’t help but take a moment to reflect on that date – June 2020. If there was ever a time when these Twin Cities needed the jolt of civic pride and hope that Blackshaw’s venture foretold, that was it.

But the rise of MnS&E had little to do with the pandemic or George Floyd, Blackshaw confirms. It came from the realization after the 2018 Super Bowl and the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four that this region’s disjointed, dual, multi-city approach to attracting major sporting events was suboptimal. And that it was worth it to get this right. More about that later.

It was not MnS&E’s intention to emphasize events featuring female athletes. But the rave reviews Minnesota received for hosting the 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four and the 2023 and 2024 Big Ten women’s basketball tournaments have been noted in all the right places, Blackshaw reported.

The same goes for the successes of women’s sports teams in Minnesota (go for the Lynx!), the high participation of girls in high school sports, and the evidence in places like the U.S. Senate that female leadership is respected in these parts. In fact, Blackshaw said during a recent bidding contest, it was important that Minnesota statutes uphold reproductive freedom.

Next up for MnS&E are the U.S. Olympic team trials in gymnastics from June 27 to 30 – a sport in which women often out-perform men – and the 2025 NCAA Women’s Hockey Frozen Four in April of next year.

Women’s events are not the exclusive focus of MnS&E – far from it. The big fish that Blackshaw is reportedly close to landing is the decidedly male-dominated WrestleMania 2025, which sounds like a crazy mix of a Super Bowl and a Sturgis motorcycle rally. She is also excited about the World Junior Hockey tournament that will take place at the end of December 2025.

But Blackshaw says an opportunity is emerging to showcase this region as “the top choice for women’s events” just as enthusiasm for Caitlin Clark and her contemporaries grows. MnS&E is thinking about how we can best use this moment.

Ideas abound. (How about a famous women’s gym?) But there’s a big one that Blackshaw says is crucial. MnS&E requires a consistent flow of public funds – approximately $25 million per year – to support its bidding and hosting efforts.

Every other major city with which MnS&E competes — think Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Orlando — has a claim to a steady stream of public money for bidding and hosting events, Blackshaw said. It often takes the form of a fixed credit or a tax on lodging, hospitality or tickets. MnS&E has been eyeing the sports gambling laws that came into play during the 2024 Legislature as a potential source of revenue.

The source of funding matters less than its reliability. “Event organizers will no longer name a host city unless it has a clearly identified means of paying for the event,” Blackshaw said.

That’s a change since 2014, when the NFL selected Minneapolis for Super Bowl LII. Then the Twin Cities’ promise to cover hosting costs by raising $55 million from corporate donors was enough. Today it wouldn’t be enough, Blackshaw said.

There are two things important to know about the money MnS&E is seeking. One is that it is an investment that generally yields a good return for the economy of a host city. For example, MnS&E’s cost to win the gymnastics trials at the U.S. Olympics in June was $6 million, a one-time appropriation from the 2023 Legislature. The event is expected to generate $70 million in the Twin Cities.

The other thing to know is that these profits don’t end up in the pockets of wealthy athletes and teams. The majority of this flows to the catering industry and especially to the employees, who live locally and spend money. That is a part of the working population that can use the boost that crowd-attracting events bring. Blackshaw reported that during the Big Ten women’s tournament March 3-9, hotel occupancy in Minneapolis reached 82.9%, the highest level since October 2019.

But organizing major events is about more than just money. MnS&E acknowledges this in its mission statement, which states that it plans to “deliver economic, reputational and social impact in our region.” The company works hard to ensure that every event it attracts gives back to this region, often through reaching young athletes and supporting youth sports programs.

Here, especially now, there is a lot to like about renewing a reputation for civic competence and pride. There is much to gain from a visible affirmation of racial and gender inclusion. If these ideas are symptoms of Caitlin Clark fever, I have it and hope it is contagious.

Lori Sturdevant is a retired editorial writer for the Star Tribune. She’s there [email protected].