ASU study: Phoenix basketball event added $71.5M to state economy

An Arizona State University study released on Tuesday places the economic value of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four at $71.5 million for the state. The tournament, held April 3 and 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center, marked the first time the Valley hosted the event.

Researchers calculated that visitor spending contributed $42.2 million to the state’s gross domestic product. The study estimates 27,330 attendees remained in the area for an average of just over four nights. Each visitor spent approximately $220.64 per day during their stay.

The event created 426 job-years and generated $24 million in labor income. Tax collections totaled nearly $4 million, with $2.3 million going to the state, $200,000 to Maricopa County, and $1.5 million to local cities.

UCLA defeated South Carolina, Texas, and Connecticut to claim its first national championship. The three games attracted 29,811 fans in person, with the final game selling out 15,856 seats. Broadcasters reported 9.9 million television viewers worldwide and 1,280 credentialed media members on site.

Mayor Kate Gallego described the hosting effort as a success for Phoenix. Governor Katie Hobbs stated that major events serve as powerful drivers for tourism and economic growth. Phoenix is currently a finalist for one of the 2032 to 2036 Final Four tournaments.

A related education initiative called Read to the Final Four involved 12,156 third graders across 191 schools. The students logged 21,426,398 minutes of reading time, a total equivalent to nearly 41 years of continuous reading.