By Tom St. Myer
Fresh off a third consecutive year of successfully hosting the Sun Belt Conference men’s and women’s basketball championships, stakeholders eye a long-term commitment that possibly means investing in the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Sun Belt is committed to playing its basketball conference championships in Pensacola for another two years. Pensacola Sports Association President Ray Palmer said ideally the Sun Belt will agree to extend the contract far beyond 2025.
“We are an arm of the tourism industry,” Palmer said. “One of our missions at Pensacola Sports is to impact the community through the power of sports and the power of sports tourism. This is an event that is the sports tourism arm.”
Sun Belt officials rave about Pensacola as a host city. Its location is ideal for a conference with 14 schools spread across 11 southern states. The lodging and food options only strengthen its appeal.
One hindrance for the city in securing a long-term commitment is the current state of the basketball venue. The antiquated Bay Center is due for a makeover.
“It’s a competitive world and we have others who’d like to host the tournament whose arenas weren’t built in 1984,” Palmer said. “…There are some things to dress it up, clean it up. Neglect has been going on for a number of years to where it’s good enough. We’ve got to get a step up above good enough.”
The Board of County Commission issued a request for proposals from outside firms to conduct a report on the Bay Center. The county is seeking information on which improvements to the facility will provide the best return on investment. Maintenance for air conditioning, plumbing and bathroom upgrades stand out as priorities.
“It’s been talked about for years candidly and it’s time to do something to the Bay Center,” County Commissioner Lumon May said. “With or without the Sun Belt, there are improvements needed for the citizens.”
Palmer said ideally a report will be submitted to the county commissioners that prioritizes the top 20 needs for the facility and how each improvement will benefit the community. The Bay Center hosting the Sun Belt basketball tournaments beyond 2025 and attracting other marquee events are motivating factors for investing in upgrades.
The number of out-of-county visitors for the 2023 tournaments increased as the conference expanded to 14 teams with the additions of James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Mississippi. Two institutions without football programs, Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington, departed the Sun Belt.
Data is yet to be reported from last week, but based on the previous two years, the Sun Belt tournaments attracted thousands of visitors from outside the Pensacola area, thousands of nights in Pensacola area accommodations and generated millions of dollars in total economic impact.
“When you bring that many teams in with that many parents and fans, it’s a great opportunity to showcase Pensacola,” May said.
Palmer noted the Sun Belt tournaments showcased Pensacola nationally with games broadcast on the ESPN family of networks and covered by media outlets in the 14 communities. The Louisiana men and James Madison women won their respective championships and clinched berths in the upcoming NCAA tournaments.
I interviewed Ray Palmer on WCOA’s “Real News with Rick Outzen” yesterday:
