Caitlin Clark Effect Is Boosting The Minneapolis Economy For Big Ten Tournament, Final Four Hosts Are Praying

If you are still skeptical of the Caitlin Clark effect on college hoops, look no further than the upcoming Big Ten women's basketball tournament in Minneapolis next month. 

Thanks to not only Iowa, but Ohio State and Indiana, the Big Ten women's tournament is nearing a sellout, with only 1,500 tickets remaining for the entire tourney. Yes, this also means the games that Caitlin Clark will not be participating in, with early games happening on Wednesday and Thursday. 

What we've seen over the past few seasons is truly remarkable, especially coming off last year's final four. For fans of the Buckeyes or Hoosiers, getting to watch their team get another crack at Iowa in the postseason has driven fans to scoop up tickets for the event being held at the Target Center. 

The Iowa guard broke the NCAA women's all-time scoring record last week in front of a sold-out crowd in Iowa, scoring 49 points in the win over Michigan. 

So, it's not crazy to think that fans would flock to Minnesota to see the Caitlin Clark show in-person, giving a massive boost to the local economy. Having one of the best players in women's athletics playing downtown has also led to local fans in the Minnesota area to snatch-up tickets. If you want to attend the Big Ten championship game, tickets are already going for upwards of $200 on the secondary market, with Stubhub having two tickets in the lower-bowl going for $186 a piece, as of Tuesday night. 

If that wasn't expensive enough, fans will also have to pay a good chunk of money to stay anywhere near the Target Center. According to Expedia, most hotels within walking distance of the venue are charging over $325 a night, not including taxes. 

This is just the latest example of how much an impact Caitlin Clark is having on the venues Iowa visits this season, as we've seen all year, with sold-out crowds welcoming the Hawkeyes to town. 

Caitlin Clark Passes Shedeur Sanders In Merchandise Sales On Fanatics

It's certainly not just tickets that Caitlin Clark is selling, according to Front Office Sports. Clark surpassed Colorado quarterback Sheduer Sanders as the top-selling athlete in NIL sales. Reporter A.J. Perez summed it up in his report. 

"To take that spot, Clark passed Colorado quarterback Sheduer Sanders in total sales since Fanatics began selling athlete-branded college gear in 2022, one year after the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in the NCAA vs. Alston case that led to the first NIL guidelines." 

"According to Fanatics, the gear that pushed Clark over the top included a T-shirt bearing the "You break it, you own it" slogan that Nike featured on social media after Clark set the scoring record."

So, Caitlin Clark has already put her name in the record books for a number of different categories. If Iowa is able to make it to the Final Four once again, which should include South Carolina once again, and maybe LSU, this could end up being one of the most profitable seasons in women's basketball history. 

I know the folks in Cleveland, Ohio are proudly cheering on the Buckeyes to make it to the Final Four, which would attract thousands of Ohio State fans. But they know that if Iowa can get back to the championship weekend, it could go down as one of the biggest in history. 

Hotels within a four-mile radius of Rocket Mortage Fieldhouse in Cleveland are going for more than $500 per night, with the Final Four still over a month away. 

It's unfortunate that Cleveland doesn't have an indoor football stadium, because if we get the same looking Final Four as we did in 2023, they could easily sell over 50,000 tickets for the weekend. 

The Caitlin Clark effect is real, and it's showing up at the ticket office, and in merchandise sales.