Could More Major International Sporting Events Be Headed to Louisiana?

Louisiana is no stranger to high level sporting events. The Super Bowl, WrestleMania and many other major events have been featured in the Bayou State at one time or another. And while wrestling or football may not be your thing, these type of events bring in MAJOR money.

Last year, WrestleMania reportedly generated $215 million in economic impact for the Los Angeles area. Last year's Super Bowl had an economic impact of over $1.3 billion in Arizona. So, getting one of these events is a big deal for the state and the city that host it.

New Bill Tries to Lure in International Sporting Events

With that said, it seems like Louisiana Lawmakers are trying to bring in more than just pro wrestling and pro football. A proposed Senate Bill (Bill 404) aims to allow international and other governing bodies of soccer and rugby to quality for state incentives.

You may be thinking - "what does that mean for us?'. What it would mean, if fully passed, events from the World Cup, World Rugby, US Soccer, US Rugby and other organizations would qualify to get support from the state's major event fund. That could translate into lots of international tourism and lots of money.

As of right now, Bill 404 has passed the Senate but needs to be fully approved by the House before becoming law.

Why Does Louisiana Pay to Get Events?

Many people may not realize this, but there are 21 states that have money designated to help bring in these types of events. Every state's fund works a little bit differently, but Louisiana's Major Event Incentive Plan has about $22 million in it and is used to attract major events.

According to their official website, here's some of the things the funds will help cover:

•    Hosting Fee, application fee, or bid fee
•    Venue rentals
•    Storage rental units
•    Equipment rentals and purchases
•    Venue facility upgrades
•    Advertising
•    Décor and signage
•    Shipping and postage
•    Contracted event-specific staffing (shall not apply to wages or salaries of permanent, full-time employees of the applicant)
•    Telecommunications
•    Transportation (refers to transportation of personnel, supplies, and equipment during and directly related to the actual staging and implementation of the event itself)

Now, you may be thinking - the Super Bowl makes SO MUCH MONEY, why do they want all this stuff for free? The short answer - yeah the NFL or WWE or NCAA or whoever makes a ton of money...but so does the city, state and surrounding areas. So, if you have an event that brings in 100s of millions of dollars every where it goes, a city/state can help move to the top of the list by providing a little help.

It's a win-win for everyone. The state gets a massive boost their economy and the event gets to pad their profit margins a little more.

What Events Currently Qualify For Louisiana Funding?

Not every event qualifies to receive breaks from the Louisiana Major Event Incentive Fund. Which is why the state is trying to add soccer & rugby leagues to the approved list. They are some of the biggest sports internationally and tend to bring in huge crowds wherever they go.

In Louisiana, you have to be on an approved list to receive funding and help. If you're not on the list, approved and passed by the Louisiana Legislature, you do not qualify for funding no matter how massive of a brand you may be.

As of right now, here are there only events & activities that have legislative approval to receive funding and help:

•    NFL Super Bowl
•    NCAA Final Four Tournament game
•    NCAA Division I Football post-season bowl game
•    College tournament or championship
•    Any NCAA conference, convention, or conference media event
•    A football kickoff game between two NCAA teams
•    NBA All-Star Game
•    The Bayou Classic
•    The Essence Festival
•    X-Games
•    The World Games
•    An Olympic activity (junior or senior activity), training program, or feeder program sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee
•    A mixed martial arts championship
•    Breeder's Cup World Championships
•    Bassmaster's Classic
•    Zurich Classic or other PGA Tour event
•    WWE Wrestlemania
•    A national motorsports race
•    Red Bull Signature Series
•    A national championship or Olympic trials of an amateur or professional sport sanctioned by the national governing body of the sport
•    A national collegiate championship of an amateur sport
•   Must be sanctioned by the national governing body of the sport
•   Governing body must be United States Olympic Committee
•    A national military event
•    A national political convention of the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National Committee