Minneapolis lights up bridges in the colors of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four.Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis / Omar Ghrayeb / Ogee Visuals
No. 4: Minneapolis
Score: 69.0
Friendly. Affordable. Supportive. Loyal. And did we already say friendly? The Twin Cities generated the highest overall net positive sentiment in our study as sports business executives praised the market’s fans, venues and the close-knit relationship between the local government and its pro and college teams.
Sports properties (11): The market’s teams drew a combined 25.6 million in attendance over the past five seasons, in a market of 3.69 million people, which was the best such ratio in our top 10. Additionally, the teams combined to sell 73% of their available seats over the past five seasons, also tops in our study. Minneapolis is luring big events — a Super Bowl; MLS and WNBA all-star games; and the Summer X Games, all since 2018. College events are a major revenue producer, with the NCAA’s 2023 Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, 2024 Division I Men’s Frozen Four (ninth time) and 2025 Women’s Frozen Four (seventh time) highlighting the calendar. The Special Olympics USA Games arrives in 2026.
Facilities: Municipalities and venue operators have partnered to create what might be the most environmentally friendly market in sports. Target Field, for example, last summer became the first MLB venue to receive LEED Platinum certification for its operations and maintenance protocols.
Sponsor footprint (50): Target, U.S. Bank, Allianz, Xcel Energy and 3M combine for eight local naming-rights and title sponsorships; Great Clips is an official NHL and NCAA sponsor; Valspar is the title sponsor at the PGA Tour event in Palm Harbor, Fla. The city is also home to sports construction heavyweight Mortenson (builder of dozens of sports venues, including most in Minneapolis) and Jostens (the 126-year-old company that probably made that class ring you’re wearing).
Economics: The Twin Cities have the lowest average hotel room rate ($122) in our top 25 (narrowly besting Kansas City), and the 14.03% room tax is among the lowest in the top 10 markets, behind Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Did you know … : Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranked highest in passenger satisfaction among mega airports in J.D. Power’s 17th annual survey conducted last year. The light rail connects the airport to every major sports venue in town and costs about 90% less than a ride-share or taxi.
What they’re saying: “Great venues, amazing events year-round and a passionate, loyal fan base.”
“Great public support for public-private partnerships for venues and events.”
“Plenty of Fortune 500 companies, not too expensive for deals, teams are friendly to each other and it’s halfway to L.A. and New York.” — D.B.
