TULALIP — A youth basketball tournament played in Tulalip and Marysville that draws more than 80 teams from around the northwest and as far away as Nevada is being honored for its economic impact on the area by a sports tourism group, saying it accounts for over $830,000 in spending.
The Tulalip March Madness Indigenous Basketball Tournament, held March 27-29 this year, is being honored as a 2026 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, a publication that focuses on sports tourism.
Youth sports travel teams, be it basketball, baseball, fast-pitch, soccer, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse or others, are a growing enterprise between coaching, potential scholarship opportunity and tournament travel when you account for hotel-motel reservations, eating at restaurants during weekend sports events, car rentals, airplane flights, gasoline purchases and tournament apparel. AAU teams are a prime example.
According to Sports Destination Management, the Tulalip March Madness Indigenous Basketball Tournament this year generated an economic impact of $836,148 with an estimated 1,195 room nights at hotels for the games that were played at the Tulalip Center-Don Hatch Gymnasium and Marysville Pilchuck High School. Based on SDM’s calculations, that averages out to each of the estimated 80 teams spending about $10,000 for the weekend tournament participation and travel.
The youth basketball tourney produced in cooperation with Tulalip Boys & Girls Club and Snohomish County Sports Commission, partnered with TRIBE Athletics Sports which made this three-day event a national qualifier for the Native American Junior Nationals. More than 80 boys’ and girls’ basketball teams traveled from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Nevada.
“It is an honor to have the Tulalip March Madness Indigenous Basketball Tournament recognized as a Champions of Innovation,” states Tammy Dunn, Snohomish County Sports Commission executive director. “Congratulations to the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club for being an award winner.”
The Snohomish County Sports Commission works to enhance Snohomish County’s economy, image as a premier sports destination and way of life for its residents by attracting regional, national, and international sporting events to the county, and supporting development of sports facilities.
“The nominations we saw were incredible,” said Sports Destination Management Publisher Scott Swoger. “What really struck us was the variety of events. We had everything from a bucket-list marathon that draws international runners to a collegiate club aviation event – and everything in between. It is absolutely clear that there is a demand for quality sports events at every level, and that event owners and destinations are answering that call.”
Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, says this year’s combined winners are responsible for contributing more than $1.850 billion to the national economy over the past year and consuming a whopping 943,810 hotel-motel room nights.