#ChampionDurham

My six-year tenure on the Durham Sports Commission just ended. The “Commissioners” gathered for a Bulls game on June 15th...and I said farewell.

While serving on the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce Board, I was among the founders back in 2015-16. Despite the preeminence of Duke athletics, NCCU and the Bulls, we felt strongly that Durham needed to do more to attract and promote sporting events. 

They are an economic engine for our hotels, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. The Sports Commission’s job is to pump fuel into that engine. We also promote youth sports in Durham and encourage local event organizers. The Commission is a funder, marketer and cheer leader.

The pandemic was a setback, but this year the DSC is on pace to support 19 events with an economic impact of $13 million.

Of course, this is sports, so there’s competition aplenty. Raleigh/Wake County has a prepared meals tax that funds sports facilities. The Town of Cary has a parks and rec system designed to host events. To the west, Greensboro has a world class aquatics center. To the east, Rocky Mount has an impressive baseball/softball/soccer facility and an events center with 8 basketball courts and auditorium seating for 4,000. 

What could Durham build? And where? We need a facility for both community recreation and a best-in-class sports center to host national tournaments. The DSC is crafting that vision with the very capable leadership of Executive Director Marcus Manning and our new Chairwoman Ingrid Wicker McCree.

Sports-related travel and tourism is a gigantic $40 billion pie in the US. Durham wants a bigger slice of that pie!

Durham Sports Commission

The Bulls, Duke athletics and NCCU sports bring considerable notoriety (and patron dollars) to Durham, but we are about to take the proverbial bull by the horns with sports marketing and sports tourism in our community.

The Durham Sports Commission has been officially established by the Durham City Council and the Durham Board of County Commissioners to recruit sporting events to Durham.

It will be a new department within the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, funded by the local hotel "bed tax," and it will be under the direction of an appointed board. The Commission's first meeting will be held in August, and the search for an executive director will commence.

I'm excited that this Commission is almost a reality. It will enhance Durham's image and economy over time. We recruited the 2012 National Championship game and 2014 All-Star game - on our own - and that convinced me that this kind of organization was needed. Then, we went after the State Games of NC and the ACC Baseball Championship. That was done on an ad hoc basis with help from the Durham Chamber and the Triangle Sports Commission. Having tasted some success, it was clear that sports recruitment represented a travel and tourism opportunity for our community. 

We should do "the wave" for County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs, City Councilman Steve Schewel, former Chamber CEO Casey Steinbacher and Shelly Green, CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau. They carried the torch for this. 

ACC Baseball Championship at the DBAP. Powerade State Games

of NC at Duke and Durham Co. Memorial Stadium. 

These are the newly appointed Durham Sports Commission members:

City of Durham Appointees:

·         Desmond Scott – Owner, Prime Athletic Training and Fitness Institute

·         Dan Hill – Founder of Hill Chesson & Woody benefits consulting firm

·         Omar Beasley – owner MC Bail Bonding

Durham County Appointees:

·         Ingrid Wicker McCree – Athletic Director of NCCU

·         Tommy Hunt – retired, Atlantic Coast Conference

·         Dwight Perry – Ophthalmologist/Partner at NC Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat

Durham Chamber Appointees:

·         George Habel - Durham Bulls Baseball Club

·         Chris Kennedy - Senior Deputy Director, Duke Athletics

·         Terrence Holt - Holt Brothers Construction LLC