That draws 10,000 to 15,000 people from May 26 to May 29, which makes this the largest-drawing championship of all USA Ultimate divisions, said spokesman Andy Lee.
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“These are college teams and college kids playing, so they tend to draw the most fans in terms of friends, alumni, parents especially, and family,” he said. “Out of all of our events this is the one that probably has the most economic impact.”
The USA Ultimate Division I championships were previously played in Warren County and at Middletown Fenwick in 2014, and in 2015 the school hosted the USA Ultimate’s U.S. Open championship which features elite-level international teams.
“It’s a great field,” said Lee. “The quality is great and we’re always looking for a natural grass field in a stadium setting.”
Warren County CVB Director of Sports Marketing Ben Huffman had previously said in a press release the partnership with the Cincinnati Ultimate Players Association “has brought millions of dollars in economic impact to the community over the past 10 years through multiple national and regional championships.”
This July, the World Ultimate Club Championships presented by the World Flying Disc Federation, which is an international event, is projected to have a $3 million economic impact.
Natalie Hansman, spokeswoman for Bishop Fenwick High School, said she was speaking with a player on one of the teams, “and they told me that the hotels in the area are pretty much booked solid.”
“I’m hoping it is that way,” she said of booked hotel rooms. “I have heard that several people say they were going to Buffalo Wild Wings, so I have a feeling that the B-Dubs staff is getting hit pretty hard.”
ESPN is televising the championships, and the finals will be televised on ESPN U on Monday afternoon.
“We’re excited we’ve brought it back,” said Hansman. “The exposure is great. Our campus has never been on ESPN, so we’re excited to have them here.
Since May 26, 40 teams — 20 women’s and 20 men’s — participated in this year’s USA Ultimate Division I championships.
The Cincinnati Ultimate Players Association and the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau is why the USA Ultimate Division 1 championships is being played in Warren County. Early rounds were played at Heritage Oak Park in Mason, and match-ups have been played at Middletown Fenwick since Friday.
Warren County is starting to become a perennial host to some type of ultimate Frisbee championship. USA Ultimate hosts 11 divisions of championships, including elite national and international championships, college championships and high school-level championships.
“We potentially would be coming back here for any one of those tournaments,” Lee said.
However, the next time the top-tier championships would be 2019 for the Division I and III college championships and 2020 for the U.S. Open and elite championships.
A decision on 2019 and 2020 locations is likely to be made this fall, Lee said.
“I would not be surprised if we come back here for college championships or another event,” he said.
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