Sports in Spokane, Washington

Spokane, Washington has a rich sporting culture and the area residents are active in many spectator and participant sports. Spectators attend events including teams around the Spokane area and collegiate sports. Participants enjoy activities from running the annual Lilac Bloomsday Run and playing in the annual Hoopfest.

Facilities

In 1995, the Spokane Public Facilities District opened Spokane's premier sports venue, the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to replace the Spokane Coliseum. In the years since Spokane Arena opened, it along with the City of Spokane have played host to major sporting events.

Other sport venues in Spokane include Joe Albi Stadium and Avista Stadium.

Hosting major events

One of the first major events hosted occurred in 1998, that event being the Memorial Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Hockey League. Four years later in 2002, Spokane hosted the 2002 Skate America figure skating competition as well as the first two rounds of NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. In 2003 and 2007 the NCAA returned to Spokane with the Division I Men's Tournament, and again in 2008 with the Women's tournament.

The biggest sports event hosted in Spokane history was the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event set an attendance record, selling nearly 155,000 tickets and passing the previous mark of 125,000 set by the Los Angeles and was later named the "Sports Event of the Year" by Sports Travel Magazine. [ [http://www.khq.com/global/story.asp?s=7272961 2007 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships named "Sports Event of the Year"] ] , beating out notable events, including Super Bowl XLI, among others. Fans, analysts and athletes, including Ice Dancing champion Tanith Belbin, spoke highly of the city's performance as host, which included large, supportive crowds. Spokane was also a candidate city for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, losing its bid to Los Angeles. Skating analyst Dick Button said that Spokane should host that event in the future. On May 5, 2008, it was announced that Spokane will once again host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2010 - ending 18 days before the start of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Basketball

During basketball season, one of the toughest tickets in town is to see the Gonzaga University Bulldogs, who regularly sell out their home games in the recently built McCarthy Arena on the Gonzaga campus, just north of downtown.

The Spokane Arena is also the perennial host to the State 'B' Basketball Tournament, which brings athletes and fans from many of Washington's smaller high schools to town. With the split of the 'B' classification in 2006, beginning in 2007 the city will be host to the State 2B (the state's second smallest class) Basketball Championships.

The Spokane Chiefs are the 2008 WHL and Memorial Cup champions.

The city is also home to the Eastern Washington University Eagles athletics.

References