More than 500 visitors are expected to generate an economic impact of nearly a quarter of a million dollars for three days of basketball competition that starts today at Riverview Park in North Augusta.
Eight high school basketball teams will face off in the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) Scholastic League, created by a partnership with the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). Teams from Canada and across the U.S. including, New York, Arizona, and Kansas will face off beginning tonight at 6:00 pm and continuing through Saturday, March 9.
“I’d say it’s a big weekend in our area,” Rick Meyer, Director of the North Augusta Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department told ABD. “They literally filled up the new Tru-by-Hilton at exit five in North Augusta and the Hyatt over in Augusta. Restaurants, Walmarts, gas stations, everybody benefits from heads in beds and people from out of town in our area.”
This is part of the lead-up to the Nike Peach Jam, held each summer at Riverview Park since 1995, an event second only to the Masters Tournament in terms of economic impact.
Add the economic impact of this tournament to the roughly $19 million Destination Augusta and the Augusta Sports Council said the eight-day Peach Jam pumps into the regional economy.
For Meyer, part of the benefit includes putting North Augusta in the spotlight.
“I think it goes back to the expression “if you build it, they will come.” Nike found out about our facility, but it bleeds over, just the notoriety that it does for the city of North Augusta. The economic impact for North Augusta, Augusta, and the surrounding area. It just kind of bleeds over and creates enthusiasm for the other sports as well,” he said.
Meyer said tickets can be purchased at the door. Thursday tickets are $15.00 for the two games. With three games on Friday and Saturday, tickets will cost $20.00.
“What you’re going to see here is, we’ve got some really good high school basketball teams in the area, high school basketball teams that are ranked in the top 20 in the country and Canada. It’s an event that Nike has created for high school basketball to crown you might say a high school national champion,” Meyer said.
More information for the upcoming event is at: https://nikeeyblscholastic.com/
Peach Jam 2024 begins July 3. Details are available at: https://nikeeyb.com/peach-jam
