Arizona Final Four Adds $71.5M

The first Women's Final Four held in the Valley generated $71.5 million in economic impact for Arizona, according to a new Arizona State University study. The event contributed $42.2 million to the state's gross domestic product.

Researchers estimated 27,330 visitors stayed in the area for an average of slightly more than four nights. They spent $220.64 per person per day, creating 426 job-years and $24 million in labor income. The spending also produced roughly $4 million in tax revenue. The state collected $2.3 million, Maricopa County received $200,000, and local cities took in $1.5 million.

UCLA defeated South Carolina, Texas, and Connecticut to win its first national championship. The three games attracted 29,811 fans, with a sold-out crowd of 15,856 attending the final. The broadcast reached 9.9 million television viewers worldwide and included 1,280 credentialed media members.

Gov. Katie Hobbs called the tournament a powerful driver of tourism and economic growth. "Fans from near and far saw everything our state has to offer," she said. Mayor Kate Gallego described the hosting as a slam dunk for Phoenix.

The Helios Education Foundation presented a free Read to the Final Four initiative. Across 191 schools, 12,156 third graders logged 21,426,398 minutes of reading. This totals more than 357,000 hours, or nearly 41 years of reading time. Phoenix is currently a host-city finalist for one of the 2032-36 Final Fours.