With four contests Thursday and two more Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena for the right to advance to the Sweet 16, hoops fever will abound, and so should plenty of spending.
State officials say the economic impact for government treasuries may be as great or even better than that generated when Pac-12 football teams bring their fans to town for games against the
University of Utah. Those visits created more than $500,000 in tax revenue, according to a University of Utah study.
Visitors spent $5.5 million during the five Pac-12 games last season, said the report released by the Center for Public Policy & Administration. Visitors stayed an average of just more than three days. In addition, nearly three-fourths of the first-time visitors said there were likely to come back to the Beehive State, while 87 percent of those who had visited before said they were more likely to return. Salt Lake Tribune
