HOUSTON — The road to the Final Four ends in Houston. Being the host city puts Houston in the national spotlight. Final Four weekend also comes with a major economic impact.
8th Wonder Brewery in EaDo already has a token of the past on display in its taproom: the original 1971 NCAA championship court from the Astrodome.
8th Wonder co-founder and president Ryan Soroka said they’re ready for college basketball fans to flood Houston again. They started ramping up production in January.
“When March Madness is here, we see a tremendous influx of business,” Soroka said.
The whole hospitality industry cashes in. New Orleans hosted the tournament last year. According to the NCAA, it saw a $168 million impact. Minneapolis reported a $154.6 million impact when it hosted.
“You’re talking about hotels, restaurants, Uber drivers, taxi drivers, transportation. Small businesses that supply for corporate events and parties. There will be a lot of entertaining going on, so a lot of money will be spent in our community during that period of time,” said Michael Heckman, President & CEO of Houston First.
Heckman said the energy in the city will be even higher if the University of Houston makes it to the Final Four.
Soroka is a UH Alum, so 8th Wonder designed a red ale for fans to enjoy while rooting for the Coogs. He knows the further the Cougars go, the more “Cougar Paw” they’ll sell.
“We’ve always considered ourselves a community center and fan zone. We definitely turn into a fan zone during these big games,” said Soroka.
Watching the games with an antenna? KHOU 11 has upgraded its technology and is broadcasting on both VHF and UHF. Tune in on either 11.1 or 11.11.