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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ss-events.html

Houston one of top cities for hosting major sporting events, new ranking shows

By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 19, 2024

Houston is starting to get the respect it deserves when it comes to hosting major sporting events, a new ranking shows.

The Bayou City ranked No. 8 on the the "Best Sports Business Cities: Event Hosting" list from sister publication Sports Business Journal, which focused on U.S. cities that have had recent success in attracting and hosting major sporting events. It was the second-highest ranking for a city in Texas, only behind Arlington, which narrowly edged out Houston and came in at No. 6. Meanwhile, San Antonio was No. 15, and Dallas came in at No. 22 in this year’s ranking.

Janis Burke, CEO of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority, said in a statement to the Houston Business Journal that the city is proud of how far it has come as a sports tourism destination. However, she added that HCHSA still has some work to do and "won’t be totally satisfied until we are considered the number one destination in the United States for hosting sporting events."

"We have avid fans, great venues, thousands of passionate volunteers, corporate partners who step up when asked, and an experienced team of people," Burke said in the statement. "We know how to bid for and host successful mega sporting events, and Houston has a strong global reputation for doing these events in a first-class manner."

Burke later added: "We’ll take this ranking as a positive sign that people are taking notice of Houston and appreciate the work we do."