Simon Fraser University (SFU) is in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the University of B.C. (UBC) could be on its way if president Stephen Toope approves by April 30.
UBC is pondering a departure from Canadian Interuniversity Sport again because that organization’s rapid expansion has diluted competition and its restrictive scholarship policies mean Canadian athletes are going south for full-ride scholarships.
UBC Athletics wants to stem the “brawn drain” and join the NCAA’s Great Northern Athletic Conference in the first step to heightening profile around the continent.
Maybe it’s far-fetched to imagine the cross-town rivals tipping off in the Final Four someday, but what about co-hosting college basketball’s Super Bowl-rivalling season climax at BC Place Stadium?
NCAA rules, according to SFU athletic director David Murphy, require an area Division I school to bid for the Final Four. SFU is a Division II school, and new members need to play at least five years before reaching Division I eligibility. Of course, NCAA rules were made to be amended. Until SFU joined it, the Indianapolis-based organization was a single-country entity.
The Final Four is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest. It came to Seattle’s Kingdome in 1984, 1989 and 1995. Houston’s Reliant Stadium was expecting 76,500 crowds for the two semifinals and the April 4 championship. BC Place’s post-renovation capacity will be 55,000, but a Final Four would be like three Grey Cups in a single weekend.
How much would it benefit Vancouver’s local economy? Based on research by economists Victor Matheson and Robert Baade of Massachusetts’ College of the Holly Cross, not much. In 2003, they analyzed tournament host cities since 1970 and concluded there is only a 5% chance of boosting the local economy by more than the $100 million estimated by promoters. Like other mega-events, it’s a brand-building exercise with a substantial substitution effect.
“The event not only stimulates spending by non-residents, but it reduces spending by other nonresidents and residents alike,” wrote Matheson and Baade.
Canada’s pro sports market is worth $1.5 billion a year, according to a conservative estimate by the Conference Board of Canada.
The think-tank’s Glen Hodgson and Mario Lefebvre are gauging the economics of pro sport in Canada in a multi-phase study.
Findings say Canada’s six NHL franchises have a “revenue footprint” of $750 million and four of the NHL’s top 10 gate draws are in Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver).
Montreal’s Formula One weekend is Canada’s single biggest event. The box office brings in $40 million and race day attracts 115,000 people. Vancouver’s per capita disposable income of $28,792 in 2009 was sandwiched between Winnipeg and Quebec City’s. The former homes of the Jets and Nordiques, however, have a combined 47 members of Canada’s 800 largest corporate revenue makers, compared with Vancouver’s 79.
For an NHL team to survive with 18,000 fans per game over a 45-game schedule, Hodgson and Lefebvre calculate an 800,000 metropolitan population is necessary. Winnipeg and Quebec are both under that threshold.
The conference board promises to elaborate in future editions.
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