FLORENCE-Closing out year one of a three-year contract with the Alabama High School
Athletic Association (AHSAA), the Florence-Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the
City of Florence have tabulated the economic impact of the tournament which took place at the
Florence Sportsplex between May 5-8, 2025. An estimated $1,554,000.00 of economic impact was
created as a result of this annual event.
Both the CVB and the city started the relationship with the AHSAA in 2019 and will continue through
2027. 2020 was the only year the tournament did not take place due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Florence-Lauderdale CVB (Visit The Shoals) and the City of Florence have partnered in hosting this
event as a means of driving more visitor spending in the community, building the city’s event resume
and showcasing Florence and the Sportsplex as an elite sport destination.
Bill Jordan, Director of Parks & Recreation, has seen the impact of this event and why it’s good for
Florence. “The AHSAA Regional softball tournament was a tremendous success for our city, both
athletically and economically. Our facilities welcomed hundreds of athletes and thousands of visitors,
resulting in significant economic benefits for local businesses, hotels, and restaurants. Events like these showcase Florence as a premier sports destination while boosting our local economy. On behalf of our
outstanding Parks and Recreation team and Randy Burns, our Athletic Director, we’re happy to partner
with the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and proud to have hosted such a high-
caliber tournament. We look forward to continuing our partnership with AHSAA for future athletic
events.”
With 56 teams from areas such as Madison, Scottsboro, Waterloo, Huntsville and Collinsville, the North
Regional tournament will have 1A through 7A schools competing for their chance to play in the State
Finals.
The Florence-Lauderdale CVB (Visit The Shoals) serves as a means to support the creation, delivery and
promotion of sport events in the Lauderdale County area. Brody Gravitt, sales manager at the CVB, said
that his first regional tournament was an outstanding experience. “Seeing teams converge upon the
sportsplex with parents, coaches and families, really confirmed for me the importance of sport travel to
the area, and why we should be developing and growing our event resume.”
Going back to 2019, the regional tournament generated 1150 room nights in Lauderdale County with an
estimated $600,000.00 in economic impact for the area. Six years later, the economic impact is almost
one million dollars more, and there were 2976 room nights and 960 athletes in 2025.
Media Release/Robert Carnegie/Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
