Basketball at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles will start two days before the opening ceremony for those Games, FIBA said on Wednesday in a news release.

FIBA said it has reviewed a revised schedule for LA28 and that games will begin on July 12, 2028, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood — ahead of the July 14 Opening Ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium.

“This adjustment allows the quarterfinals to be played over two days and will also ensure that no game will start earlier than (noon), enhancing the overall experience for players, teams, fans and broadcasters,” FIBA said in a news release.

It is unclear if the men’s tournament, the women’s tournament or both will start before the Opening Ceremony. A preliminary schedule released last month calls for three basketball games on July 12 and three more on July 13.

Bronze-medal games will be played on July 28 and 29 and gold-medal games will occur on July 29 and 30. July 30 is the final day of the Games.

Several other sports also are scheduled to start before the Opening Ceremony, including field hockey, rugby sevens, water polo, handball, cricket and soccer. The canoe slalom competition in Oklahoma City is expected to start in the morning of July 14, hours before the opening ceremony later that day about 1,200 miles away.

At sporting events, there can be noise … and there can be noise. You know the distinction. It’s when one player, or team, gets a special sound, the recognition that while in theory amongst equals, there is one that resonates just that bit more.

One of those moments came in Indianapolis ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game, as basketball fans roared for each of the All-Stars as they were announced, several of them modern legends of the game. But when Indiana Fever hometown star Caitlin Clark was introduced, even if she missed out on the game because of injury, the noise was just … different.

 Clark is one of most well-known athlete in the United States today — male or female — and her stardom transcends basketball. Since she was drafted by Indiana, the team’s home attendance has more than doubled. Visit Indy’s web page on the Fever has seen a 500% increase year over year and its digital marketing in Iowa has shown significant upticks.

“It’s as big as we thought it would be because we thought it would be big,” said Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. “She was so popular coming out of college and we were just hoping we’d win that Ping-Pong ball — whether it was an envelope or Ping-Pong ball or whatever. The minute we got it, I knew this would turn into a big thing for us.”

Perhaps it’s also not surprising that the success of the Fever is in Indiana, the state of Hoosiers (the movie and the team), of Final Fours and NBA Finals appearances, where a citizenry is proud to boast of its basketball heritage.

After all, as Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty said: “In our neighborhood HOA covenants, one of the things that you don’t have to get approval for is to install a basketball hoop. You have to get approval for everything, to plant trees and all this other stuff — except put in a basketball hoop.”

Basketball Means More in Indiana

The perception of basketball in Indiana has changed among national outlets with the arrival of Clark last season in many ways, large and small — small screen, that is.

“I’m so used after 14 years of being in Indianapolis to checking ESPN after a Pacers game, seeing that the Pacers beat the Knicks 108-96 and seeing four of the five highlights are Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns and one highlight of the Pacers,” Hoops said. “With Caitlin and the Fever, the Fever might lose to the (New York) Liberty and three of the highlights are Caitlin (assists) and Caitlin 3’s.”

Indianapolis has said it wants to be one of the women’s sports capitals of the world by 2050 and Clark’s presence in town, Talty said, has made leaders in the community try to accelerate that benchmark. Throughout the city on All-Star Weekend, there was plenty of basketball but notably it was entirely WNBA-related with barely any Pacers blue and gold noticed around downtown.

More than a dozen temporary art installations popped up across downtown, showcasing local female artists. Monument Square, Indy’s central gathering space, became a fan hub featuring “W” sculptures, floral displays, custom sneaker stations and more. As part of Indiana Black Expo, a “Court Vision” Exhibit inside the convention center featured over 30 artists spotlighting women and girls. There was also All-Star Bounce through downtown the morning of the All-Star Game, as 2,500 youths 18 and under dribbled along a half-mile, non-competitive route.

The Indianapolis area does not just turn out for women’s basketball for one weekend per summer. One of the city’s more beloved athletes who remains active in the community is Tamika Catchings, who played her entire 15-year WNBA career with the Fever and led the franchise to its only WNBA championship in 2012. Catchings was prominent throughout the weekend attending a breast tissue donation event and at a popular stop around town during All-Star Weekend, Tea’s Me Café, which has teas available for purchase at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The city’s love for basketball and special events extends to some of its historic landmarks. Since 1902, St. Elmo’s restaurant has had one appetizer on its menu — its famous shrimp cocktail, deemed one of the world’s spiciest dishes by Travel Channel. On All-Star Weekend, the waiters were in red and yellow bowties and even the menus had special Fever branding.

A State of Major Sporting Events

Indianapolis is known for basketball and many other things in the sports world — not just the NFL’s Colts, but best for Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 on Memorial Day Weekend, an event first held in 1911 that this year drew nearly 350,000 fans.

The newly renovated $60.5 million museum at the track (a much shorter ride from downtown than one would expect) allows visitors to learn the history of the track and Indy’s racing lore, with cars all eras and areas representing the track’s ties to NASCAR and Formula 1. Those who book a “Kiss the Bricks” tour get a narrated, 30-minute bus tour that features one lap around the famous 2.5-mile oval with a stop at the start/finish line and the chance to kiss the historic yard of bricks (SportsTravel can attest that kissing the bricks tastes … like kissing a brick).

One of the other visible things throughout the city is not only its sporting heritage, but its building boom. Indianapolis has $1.6 billion invested in hotels over the next three years and within the next five years overall will have an additional 1,500 rooms, highlighted by a Shinola Hotel and a Signia by Hilton that, once it opens in 2026, will bring the total number of rooms connected via skywalks to 5,100, the most in the country.

The region is promoting the number of hotels with the goal of getting more international sports business. And one of the things that has given Indianapolis massive international sports exposure was when it hosted the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials — Swimming at Lucas Oil Stadium, the first time the Trials were held at an NFL stadium. Over 17 sessions, the stadium saw an average of 16,000 fans per session, maxing at 22,209 on June 19 for the largest swim meet ever held. USA Swimming recently announced it will return to Indianapolis for the Trials in 2028.

“I was in Paris for the Olympics and we came across someone from Team GB and someone from Team Canada who said, ‘Oh my God, we saw what you did, now that’s changed how we have to think about our swimming trials,’” Talty said. “We never set out to think that way. We wanted to have an impactful event and have media attention here in the States — and it definitely paid off in spades.”

Between the big attendance numbers and unique visuals — Hoops remembers walking into the stadium “and the way it was lit, it took my breath away” — it also assuredly made other cities with NFL domed stadiums think about how they could position themselves for four years down the road, leading Indianapolis executives to work fast to ensure its return.

“We definitely felt like we earned the right to host the event again,” Talty said. “When you do something so transformational to a sport, we learned so much, too. So we were like, we have to do this again to implement all these learnings and make it even more grand and better and more effective. We also wanted to be a part of the domestic Games. That was extremely important to Leonard and I that part of LA28 runs through Indy.”

There was one more thing to coordinate, however. Because swimming will be held at the back end of the 2028 Games instead of the front part of the schedule, the Trials will be held in a different time period in 2028 than in 2024. So while Visit Indy and the Sports Corp had held the convention center space in anticipation of getting the Trials back, it originally was not the dates that USA Swimming now needed. Adjustments were needed and Visit Indy worked to clear multiple groups that had reserved the dates, helping them find new host cities for that summer.

“Leonard’s team had to do a ton of work to get it done,” Talty said. “Without the partnership between the Sports Corp and Visit Indy, we wouldn’t be sitting here today having (the 2028 Trials) coming back here.”

USA Swimming was on hand during the WNBA All-Star Weekend to check out the scene, as were multiple other organizations and sports commissions. From the initial touchpoint at the airport with a full WNBA basketball court and gigantic signage around the entry way,  to the billboards all around downtown spotlighting Clark and other W stars, visitors saw an example of why Indianapolis continues to bring in so many sporting events.

“People expect to see something on the JW when it’s a big event,” Talty said, referring to giant signage on the side of one of the city’s tallest buildings. “Those things were done first at one point and then that learning continued. The advantage that we have here in Indy is two things. One, we have so many of these big events that come on a somewhat regular basis that you have continuity of people who have the experience and can share that experience and bring on new leadership and people into the system and learn. The other piece of that is we, as a sports commission, are lucky enough that we can have a standing staff that helps execute these events. We have full-time professionals that are event operators that help put on those events again and again and again.”

With a burgeoning basketball scene around Canada and the return of two home-grown stars, Edmonton will transform into a home for basketball and entertainment fans this week when the FIBA 3×3 World Tour returns to the Alberta destination for the third consecutive year.

The Ice Palace at West Edmonton Mall will have a basketball court and a festival vibe steps from rollercoasters, a waterpark and 800-plus places to shop and eat after the past two years when FIBA 3×3 was located at the Ice District outside of Rogers Place, the home of the Edmonton Oilers.

“The events are well attended and for us to be in Canada where we have such a strong, committed women’s team and a stop in the Americas for us fits with our global strategy,” said Alex Sanchez, FIBA 3×3’s managing director.

The schedule starts July 31 with men’s and women’s quests and youth showcase games, before the women’s series starts with pool play on August 1 along with the playoffs for the men’s and women’s quests.

The men’s pool play and women’s playoffs are on August 2 before the men’s playoffs and wheelchair challenge on August 3 rounds out the schedule. The men’s stop in Edmonton is the eighth out of 17 events this year; the women’s stop is the 11th out of 15 events this year.

The women’s event in particular comes as Canada’s team is looking for a third consecutive women’s series victory of the year and is led by Edmonton’s own Katherine and Michelle Plouffe.

“We’ve been a big supporter of basketball on the national level with Canada basketball for over a decade,” said Cindy Medynski, Explore Edmonton’s director, sport and culture events. “Having the 3×3 discipline just felt like a very good fit for our city and how we can support it and promote it. It’s really important that it’s the world tour on the men’s side, but that the women’s series is also represented. Having that gender equity represented in sport and major events is part of our strategic framework. As a host city, I think it’s something we can do to shine some more light on these female athletes especially given we’ve got some great homegrown ones here in Edmonton.”

Cross Promoting a Sport and City

FIBA also brings international attention to Edmonton, which was selected by Lonely Planet as a Top City in the Best in Travel list for 2025.

“These international teams are coming, their friends and family can experience a city they maybe never would have visited if we hadn’t hosted this event,” Medynski said. “So if they have a great experience in Edmonton, they’re going to be an extension of us in terms of word of mouth and becoming an ambassador for our destination. They can use their experience to communicate the value of hosting events in Edmonton and how we are such a great city to not only visit but to live in and work in.”

When it attracts major international events like FIBA 3×3, Explore Edmonton communicates throughout the city about the potential for new visitation so that hotels, restaurants and other attractions can be prepared to leverage the opportunity to spread awareness of the event.

“It’s important to us to show FIBA that we want to increase awareness of the sport and the athletes and together build our brands side by side,” Medynski said. “That’s something that’s important for Edmonton and specifically Explore Edmonton is to be able to align with these big brands that really enhance our image and reputation. That long-term, multi-year approach I think is something that we’re seeing a trend from international federations but also host cities, so you can build on the success year after year.”

The location for this year’s event is also intentional “having all of the activity in and around the mall and then the focal point being FIBA 3X3 World Tour and Women’s Series, it’s going to show that there’s so much to do in the city,” Medynski added. “Sport maybe brought them in as the anchor event. But then there’s all of these things in Edmonton and around our city that they can experience.”

That philosophy fits to the theme that FIBA 3×3 has strived for with its events around the world. The idea is basketball is the hook to attract fans and visitors but then those fans are allowed plenty of time to explore activities that can keep them around the site beyond the game.

“Edmonton is a good example,” Sanchez said. “We don’t ask the people to go to a traditional gym. To have this flair, this party and therefore to have the event downtown in Edmonton in the mall — some of the people are coming because they have bought a ticket. Others are strolling, see events, see the party and want to join and sit and watch. I think this mix makes the vibe of 3×3 and I think what we have happening in Edmonton is a good example of it.”

Anyone’s Game

The 3×3 scene has blossomed in part because of its non-traditional powerhouse teams.

“The idea when 3×3 was launched was to democratize basketball,” Sanchez said. “The beauty with 3×3 is what we see is less predictable because it is wide open for anybody to be competitive.”

At the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris, the men’s gold medal was won by the Netherlands, which has never qualified for men’s Olympic basketball in 5×5. The U.S. men finished seventh, behind Latvia and Poland among others.

The U.S. women won bronze at the Olympics in Paris but last month at the 3×3 Worlds, it lost in the quarterfinals to host Mongolia, which made a run to the championship before losing to the Dutch women. Switzerland won the men’s gold, having last made the Olympics in 5×5 in 1952.

Sanchez points to 3×3’s success in media interest around the globe and increased interest in cities hosting FIBA events. Another sign of the sport’s growth: The International Olympic Committee recently increased the number of teams to 12 for men and women at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, up from eight in Paris.

“I always say that we are low-cost, high-value entertainment,” Sanchez said. “For a small investment compared with most other Olympic disciplines, you can get value for money. I would challenge you to find another Olympic discipline that is able to generate so much fun.”

FIBA 3×3 Edmonton Event Schedule

July 31: FIBA 3×3 Men’s & Women’s Quests, Hoop City Youth Showcase Games
August 1: FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Pool Play, Men’s & Women’s Quests Playoffs
August 2: FIBA 3×3 Men’s World Tour Pool Play, Women’s Series Playoffs
August 3: FIBA 3×3 Men’s World Tour Playoffs, Wheelchair Challenge

Ray Allen played 18 seasons in the NBA and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. Allen was a 10-time NBA All-Star and won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 2000 United States men’s basketball team. In 2021, he was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, having won two NBA championships, one with the Boston Celtics and one with the Miami Heat.

Leroy Arrington is General Manager at ESPN Wide World Of Sports In Disney World and leads the operations, strategy and guest experience at one of the largest and most prestigious multi-sport venues in the world. They joined the Podcast for a recording over Memorial Day Weekend about being a sports dad, the youth sports scene, organizing events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and much more.

This episode is sponsored by:

Discover Monroe-West Monroe will host the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s 2026 Adult and Junior Division National Championships at the West Monroe Sports & Events facility.

The top 16 ranked wheelchair basketball teams in Adult Divisions I, II and III will earn an invitation to their respective national tournaments, scheduled for March 26–29, 2026.

“We are excited to host the 2026 Open & Junior National Championships of the NWBA,” said Alana Cooper, Discover Monroe-West Monroe president and chief executive officer. “We welcome NWBA players, fans and families to experience our southern cuisine, culture and hospitality. We are eager to showcase our excellent facility, the West Monroe Sports and Events Center, as well as our area attractions and local cuisine. It is going to be an exciting two weeks of competition and we are honored to welcome the participants from throughout America.”

One week prior to the Adult Division competition, the top 32 ranked varsity teams and the top 16 ranked prep teams will be invited to compete in the NWBA Varsity and Prep Wheelchair Basketball National Championships, taking place March 19–22, 2026. In total, 96 teams and more than 1,300 wheelchair basketball athletes will compete for a national title across the two weekends.

“We are thrilled to partner with Discover Monroe-West Monroe to host such a prestigious event. These types of events are the reason why Mayor Staci Mitchell and the City of West Monroe built West Monroe Sports & Events,” said Jamie Johnson, general manager of West Monroe Sports and Events.

The Women’s National Basketball Association has announced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will receive expansion teams, bringing the league’s total to 18 teams.

The three new teams join the league’s 15 existing teams, including the Golden State Valkyries, who tipped off in May 2025, as well as the previously announced expansion markets in Toronto and Portland that will be active in 2026. Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia the season after, assuming they get approval from the NBA and WNBA Board of Governors.

Both Cleveland and Detroit had WNBA teams in the past and Philadelphia was the home for an ABL team.  The Cleveland and Detroit ownership groups said the Rockers and Shock — the names of the previous teams — would be considered but they’d do their due diligence before deciding on what the franchises will be called. The Detroit and Cleveland teams will play at the NBA arenas that currently exist, while Philadelphia is planning on a new building that will be completed hopefully by 2030.

“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball.”

The ownership groups for the new franchises include Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, and Philadelphia 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, in addition to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment investors David Adelman and Brian Roberts in Philadelphia. Each paid a $250 million expansion fee, which is about five times as much as Golden State dished out for a team a few years ago.

The new WNBA team in Cleveland will be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group, the entity that houses REG Chairman Gilbert’s sports and entertainment properties. The WNBA previously had a team in Cleveland, the Rockers, from 1997 to 2003.

“The WNBA’s return to Cleveland marks a pivotal moment for women’s sports. Years from now, we will reflect on this day as a truly monumental point in Cleveland sports history,” said Gilbert. “The passion, support and continued commitment of our fans and community for our professional sports teams played an essential role in making this possible.”

Gores is owner of the Pistons and chairman and chief executive officer of global investment firm Platinum Equity. The WNBA is also making its return to Detroit, where the Shock played from 1998–2009, winning three championships (2003, 2006, 2008), ranking in the top five in attendance for five consecutive seasons. Detroit sports stars Grant Hill, Chris Webber and Jared Goff will have minority ownership stakes in the team.

“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” said Gores. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition. Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”

The Philadelphia WNBA team will be owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center and Unrivaled Sports.

“Philadelphia is one of the most storied basketball cities in the world and our region is home to some of the best women’s players and coaches to ever grace the hardwood. It’s only right that this city gets the WNBA team it deserves, and we’re humbled to help usher in a new era of Philadelphia basketball,” said Harris.

Engelbert said she was impressed with the number of cities that bid for expansion teams, a list that included St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin, Nashville, Miami, Denver; Charlotte and Houston.

The WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee has announced a statewide scavenger hunt across Indiana leading to the mid-July event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Fans can sign up at allstarhunt2025.com to get early access to clues, one hour before they go public on the date designated for a city.  Clues will be released via email and on Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s social media and whoever is the first to arrive at the correct location with the right answer will receive two tickets for either the 3 Point Contest and Skills Challenge on July 18 or the All-Star Game on July 19.

“As part of this summer’s red-hot celebration for WNBA All-Star, the All-Star Scavenger Hunt will engage Hoosiers from around the state and tap their knowledge of our state’s rich history of women’s basketball,” said Mel Raines, WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee founding chair and Pacers Sports & Entertainment chief executive officer. “WNBA All-Star Weekend is about so much more than what happens on the court and this scavenger hunt will showcase legendary Indiana basketball moments while sparking some interactive fun along the way.”

The FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup 2025 will take place in Leon, Mexico, from November 27–30, the first time the tournament will be hosted in Mexico.

This fifth edition of the 3×3 competition in the Americas will bring together the top men’s and women’s national teams from across the continent to downtown León, in front of the iconic Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.

“Mexico has hosted several 3×3 events since 2015, including the FIBA 3×3 World tour, so bringing a national team competition to the country was a logical next step,” said Alex Sanchez, FIBA 3×3 Managing Director.

In the previous edition, hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the U.S. men and Canada’s women emerged as champions. The event will feature equal representation of men’s and women’s teams, competing alternately on the same court and in front of the same fans.

“We are proud to bring the FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup to Mexico for the first time,”  said Isaac Noe Piña Valdivia, sports commission director for the city of León. “León is a vibrant city with a rich sporting culture, and we can’t wait to showcase our hospitality and deliver a world-class festival-like atmosphere for the local community and all participants.”

Las Vegas has many reputations. It’s known as the entertainment capital of the world, a gambling mecca and in recent years, a sports hub that’s seen several professional teams come to town and hosted events such as the Super Bowl and Formula 1.

However, Vegas veterans will tell you that before anything else, Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV Runnin’ Rebels teams of the 1980s and 1990s ignited a passion for basketball in the desert. The Rebs were the hottest ticket in town for many years, as they went to multiple Final Fours and won a national championship in 1990, crushing Duke by 30 points in the title game.

The Rebels still draw decent crowds these days but without an NBA team in the city, there was a basketball void that needed to be filled. Enter the Las Vegas Aces.

“I think Vegas is a basketball town and has been for a long time,” said Steve Hill, chief executive officer and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority. “The Aces crowds today are probably the families of those people who went to those UNLV games in the ’90s. They just love basketball.”

When the WNBA franchise moved to Las Vegas from Dallas after the 2017 season, it marked the first professional basketball in the city’s history. And since 2017, the team has made quite a bit of history.

The Aces won back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022–2023, have revolutionized what a WNBA team facility should look like and have packed Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay with loud crowds consistently.

Aces Set the Standard

SportsTravel got the chance to be a part of a Las Vegas experience centered around the Aces and the impact the team has on the community. The event included a tour of the Aces’ headquarters located next to the NFL Raiders’ home in Henderson, Nevada, and a VIP experience for the Aces’ 2025 home opener against the Washington Mystics on May 23.

“We are a city that supports excellence and we feel our presence has been able to bring visibility to women’s sports, while also helping drive economic activity within our community,” said Las Vegas Aces President Nikki Fargas. “Las Vegas isn’t just where we play, this is our home. And how this community has shown up game after game, parade after parade, means everything to us and it fuels our players.”

With the first pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, the Aces selected A’ja Wilson from South Carolina. Wilson has been the best player in the league since that moment, amassing three MVP awards and leading the team to an overall win percentage of nearly 70 percent since it moved to Las Vegas.

After winning Las Vegas’ first professional sports championship in 2022, the Aces moved into their new $40 million facility before the 2023 season — the first complex built solely for the use of a WNBA team.

The 60,000-square-foot venue houses the Aces’ practice facility — complete with two courts that can be separated — offices, training room, weight room, hydrotherapy space, physical therapy area, locker rooms, a lecture hall, player and alumni lounges and an on-site daycare center.

The facility set the standard for a WNBA home. Since its opening in April 2023, several other teams have copied the blueprint.

“Obviously we want this across the board in the WNBA,” Fargas said of the facilities. “We want these players to have a place that they can call home. I’m proud of the work that we’ve been able to do with our team, with our business ops team in maximizing that space, but also knowing that we don’t ever displace our players. We’ll have tours come through and we’ll host community events there. We hold camps and clinics there. So not only is that facility for the players, it’s also for our community.”

And the community shows up for the Aces. The opening night game had a sellout crowd of 10,509, which stayed with the team the entire way, even though the first three quarters were a bit rough. The Aces trailed by nine points with four minutes left, but boosted by the large crowd, they rallied with a 16–4 run to close to game and beat the Washington Mystics, including a Jewell Loyd 3-pointer in the final seconds that sent Michelob Ultra Arena into a frenzy.

“It’s great to see what we’ve been able to build in such a short period of time, having back-to-back season ticket member sellouts — that’s so exciting,” Fargas said. “But also to hear how loud the arena gets. I’ve had so many people talk about not just the game itself, but all of the activations that we have around the game and how interactive it is with our fans. People really enjoy coming to the games to see not just the action on the basketball court, but what other cool things we’re doing to make that game day experience for the fans special.”

LVCVA Continues to Raise the Bar

You’d be hard pressed to find a CVB anywhere that supports its local teams as diligently as LVCVA does with the Aces, Golden Knights and Raiders.

Before the 2024 season, LVCVA found a creative way to market its destination in a partnership with each individual Aces player on the roster. The premise is simple — LVCVA pays each Aces player $100,000 per season to essentially be social media influencers for the city. Players attend concerts, shows, nightclubs, etc., sharing their experiences with their millions of followers.

The idea, implemented a year ago, gave LVCVA more exposure and eyeballs on the city’s top tourist attractions, while the players benefitted from the monetary sum.

“We did it because we thought it was a smart and efficient marketing opportunity for us,” Hill said. “All of the players have a following. A’ja has a following that most athletes would envy. But everybody on the team was a star in college, was a star in high school and has a hometown fan base. We get them out in the community to experience everything that Las Vegas has to offer and then talk about it.

“We use influencers on a very regular basis and they’re basically influencers, and it’s worked out really well for us. I think it’s worked out really well for them, too. We’re thrilled with the partnership and I think it’s worked well for Las Vegas.”

The win-win situation for LVCVA and Aces players drew attention from the WNBA, as the league announced an investigation as to whether the sponsorship dollars circumvented the salary cap. That investigation is a year old now, with no new updates and no conclusion.

Hill and others were questioned by WNBA investigators in 2024 and LVCVA has gone forward with year two of the sponsorship in 2025.

“We’ve not heard anything,” Hill said. “We’ve made a two-year commitment and we think it’s a great deal for us and a great opportunity for the players. So yeah, we’re just moving forward.”

On the court and in the community, the Aces’ relationship with the city has never been stronger. When the team arrived in 2018, the crowds weren’t as large. However, led by Wilson, Caitlin Clark and others, the women’s basketball explosion has led to big crowds across the WNBA. That also means more economic impact for CVBs.

“It’s just generally beneficial to the community from a tourism and economic standpoint,” Hill said of the Aces. “But the energy around the Aces and their integration into the community is important to locals here. It’s now a part of our culture, part of the sports scene and a part of our brand.”

F1 the Newest Addition to Vegas’ Infrastructure

In the past decade, Las Vegas has added two of the top arenas and stadiums in the world (more on those below) but the city has truly gone international with the annual Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix each November.

As the Las Vegas Grand Prix heads into its third year, the completion of the Grand Prix Plaza is bringing the world’s premier race circuit to life year-round in Vegas.

The F1 Experience is something that everybody will enjoy, whether they’re race fans or not. The F1 Drive provides a high-level go-kart activation for visitors, who then can go upstairs and get an immersive F1 experience, including learning the history of the sport, how the tires and pit crews work, the media/control center, creating your own team and car, and more. The F1 simulators provide a taste of what the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit feels like to drive.

The Grand Prix Plaza is a signal of commitment between F1 and LVCVA and although their contract is up after 2025, all indicators point to their partnership going far into the future.

“We’re thrilled with Grand Prix Plaza and it’s a really fun offering for visitors,” Hill said. “Going karting is a fun thing to do, period. And to wrap it around Formula 1 elevates it. But it’s also something that I think helps fan development, and in the U.S. — and particularly around Las Vegas — we want to do that. The fan experience is a real opportunity to make that happen.”

One year before the Aces arrived in Las Vegas, the city welcomed its first professional sports team with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. To lure an NHL expansion team to the desert, the city built T-Mobile Arena, one of the nicest arenas you’ll find anywhere in the country.

In addition to the 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Golden Knights, the arena hosts basketball games, boxing, UFC, concerts and more. The arena contributes an estimated $125 million per year in economic impact to the city.

It has all the top hospitality spots, including 46 suites and two “party suites” that can each host 120 people. The Hyde Lounge in the upper portion of the arena offers standing room only areas in a nightclub setting. The Bud Light Lounge and Ghost Lounge located in the two center sections of the arena bowl provide premium hospitality and the best views in the venue.

Speaking of building venues to lure professional sports teams, the city did it again in 2020 when it opened Allegiant Stadium. The 65,000-seat venue helped relocate the Raiders from Oakland to Las Vegas, but it also has hosted the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, college football, massive concerts and WrestleMania in 2025 (and potentially 2026). It will also be the site for the 2027 College Football Playoff Championship and the 2028 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

“The building of Allegiant Stadium was transformative for the state,” Hill said. “We wouldn’t have gotten Formula 1 if we hadn’t built Allegiant Stadium, because we didn’t have a venue where we could host the biggest events in the world. And now, with that stadium, we host events every few weeks and the world sees that we have this big capacity to do it over and over again.”

The Allegiant Stadium tour included a peek inside Raiders owner Mark Davis’ suite, a walk through the Raiders’ locker room — complete with a Charles Woodson hologram — and a chance to walk on the field for pictures. Standing at the 50-yard line, it’s easy to see why the venue is a favorite among sports fans, with its amazing natural light, giant Olympic-style torch in the end zone and views of the Vegas skyline looking out the northeast side of the stadium.

A trip to Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete without some top-shelf food and entertainment. LVCVA treated our group to some of the best dining in the city, including Mother Wolf, Gordon Ramsay Burger, Bourbon Steak at Four Seasons, Primrose at Park MGM and The Kitchen at Commons Club at the Virgin Hotel.

Virgin has emerged as a big-time player in the Las Vegas hospitality scene when it comes to sports, as the resort hosts NFL teams and is the headquarters for the NBA Summer League each July. Virgin also sponsors the Las Vegas Bowl, Formula 1 and the National Finals Rodeo.

For entertainment, some of the VIP experiences include Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple, a spin on the High Roller observation wheel, a trip to Atomic Golf, ziplining and live music at Caspians, the speakeasy inside Caesar’s Palace.

The old marketing slogan was, “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” But what’s happening in modern day Vegas is an influx of new venues, teams and training facilities in the sports world that have added a new element to a city that continues to entertain at all levels.

Events DC has announced a partnership with the Goodman League, one of the nation’s premier summer basketball leagues, making the organization the presenting sponsor of the 2025 season.

Events DC will have its branding integrated across Goodman League platforms and events. Additionally, Events DC will support the league with court enhancements and activations for opening day. The Goodman League was founded in 1977, showcasing talent from local high schools, college programs, international leagues, streetball legends and even NBA players.

“Events DC is honored to champion the legacy of the Goodman League by serving as the presenting sponsor for the 2025 season,” said Events DC President and CEO Angie M. Gates. “This partnership goes beyond renovating the court space. Events DC is equipping the Goodman League with the support to thrive and elevate its platform to greater heights and confirm that Washington, DC is the sports capital. This year, we are excited to present an exciting season that celebrates our city’s vibrant spirit, uplifts the community and showcases the power of sports to unite us all.”

To kick off the season and commemorate the new partnership, the Goodman League and Events DC hosted a special opening day celebration at the Barry Farm court on June 4. The event featured remarks from Gates, Chief of Police Pamela Smith, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation Theenie Freeman and Miles Rawls, longtime commissioner and lead organizer of the Goodman League.

“The Goodman League represents the heart and history of Southeast DC — it’s where culture, competition and community all come together,” said Rawls. “Partnering with Events DC will take the league to the next level, giving us the resources and recognition to elevate the league while staying rooted in the community that built it.”