With Minnesota taking center stage over the past weekend and especially tonight with the Final Four, our home state, for the second year in a row proves it beyond worthy of national championship hosting!

The naysayers who don’t see the upside of professional sports, just need to take a look at the numbers below to understand the magnitude of the importance.

94,000 visitors to the state

2,400 credentialed media

23 million television viewers

180 countries carrying the game

8,000+ hotels booked

$1,123 average price for ticket

8.5 million wagered in March Madness wagers

$1.5 million to air a 30 second ad during the Final Four game

$142 million dollars total revenue for the Twin Cities in state/local tax revenue