ST. LOUIS – Day three of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament kicked off with beautiful weather and plenty of school pride.
Allison Dziadus was one of the many Saluki fans watching them take on Missouri State University.
“We don’t have the NBA or professional basketball so this is the next best thing,” she said.
She brought her entire family to the game. She’s just one of the estimated 50,000 people to walk through these doors during the four-day tournament.
According to the St. Louis sports Commission, about 12,000 are from out of town.
“We got one guy from Florida. One guy coming from Iowa. My dad came from Iowa. And I came from South Dakota,” said Joe Thuente.
He’s been coming to this event for the last 15 years with his dad and friends.
The four-day tournament has been held in St. Louis for 28 years but this year is the first time the SEC Men’s tournament will be hosted here just a few days later. And that means big bucks for the businesses.
“You’re probably looking at a total economic impact of in the $20-$25 million range from the two events,” said Frank Viverito, the president of the St. Louis Sports Commission.
