State Basketball Means $5 Million in Economic Impact for Lincoln Businesses

March 9, 2022, 4 p.m. ·

Lincoln Haymarket wooden tower on downtown street.
Lincoln's historic Haymarket district. (Nebraska Public Media archive photo)

Lincoln businesses can expect $5 million economic impact from this week’s girls and boys state basketball tournaments.

Jeff Maul, the executive director of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, said this year’s timing works out well for businesses owners. The basketball tournament started right after the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Lincoln – and that makes for good profits in the capital city.

“When you put this back-to-back with Big Ten wrestling, which we hosted over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday," Maul said, “I think it’s a pretty fair assessment that we’re going to see somewhere between $4 and $5 million come into the community over an eight-day period of time.”

This year marks the first time Nebraska girls and boys state basketball is being played in the same week. Maul said the hotel, restaurant and retail industries are likely to benefit the most. While many downtown businesses are getting close to full staffing, Maul said there are still businesses who are still short staffed and could use customer’s patience.