With 790 square miles of sports arenas, parks, fields, trails, lakes and even a state park, it’s no surprise that Butler County is one of the region’s leading sports markets.
Earlier this year, Butler County launched its own sports commission after years of hosting a wide variety of sporting events in the region, from the USCAA Baseball Small College World Series to the 2015 World Disc Golf Championship.
“Butler County sits in a unique position to generate more revenue from tournaments and sporting events of all kinds,” said Jack Cohen, president of Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau. “We have the venues to accommodate a wide variety of sports and the hotel capacity to host traveling teams; now is the time to really tap into this industry and help the sporting organizations grow and create a positive economic impact here in Butler County.”
The sports commission is comprised of a group of community business and industry leaders who will be ambassadors for the organization and will offer their expertise and assistance as the industry continues to grow. Individuals in the group represent the county’s multilevel sports organizations, from local high schools and colleges to semi-professional and professional sports organizations.
In addition to its array of sporting venues, Butler County offers over 2,000 hotel rooms and the convenience of being in southwest Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh.
The multiuse Dick’s Sporting Goods Sportsplex at Graham Park features fields, a hockey rink and trails, while the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the practice and training facility for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has two full-size hockey rinks with 1,500 seats total. For outdoor adventures, 16,700-acre Moraine State Park offers 1,750 square feet of beach and 741 miles of trails. Groups can use the park for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, boating and picnicking as well as other land and water activities.