CLEVELAND — Basketball has a way of bringing people together and nothing does it quite like the Mid-American Conference Tournament held each year in Cleveland.
A group of men walking through the concourse at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse between games Thursday embodied that well. One wearing a MAC t-shirt, another sporting an Ohio University top, all in town to catch the MACtion.
“We come together once a year every year for the MAC Tournament in Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. We’ve known each other for years but it brings us all together,” said Pat Gannon.
While the group of friends on a get-together shared Ohio roots, other fans like Chris Hill came here from a bit further out.
Hill, a Ball State fan, drove about four-and-a-half hours from Muncie, Indiana to see his Cardinals play. While the men’s team was knocked out by the OU Bobcats, Hill will be in town for the entire weekend to watch the full slate of games.
“I’m watching everything. I’ll leave Sunday but I’ll watch the men and women’s. My team has already lost but I’m sticking around,” Hill said.
While the fans inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse are ready to support their teams, their attendance also helps support the city itself.
“It means a lot of dollars. Hosting these events, the MAC Tournament, every year makes it more special, Brings in several million dollars into the community in outside spending,” said Greater Cleveland Sports Commission CEO David Gilbert. “You really see it and feel it on the street. You walk into restaurants around the building, you walk into hotel lobbies and they're full, there’s excitement.”
The influx of fans means economic support for Cleveland, but it also has longer-lasting implications. With the MAC Tournament returning to Cleveland each year for the foreseeable future after an extension was signed, the support the fans’ dollars provides coincides with the support they bring to the sport, to the tournament and to showing Cleveland off as a destination to be excited about.
“It’s about making sure that when people come here, yes they're coming for the basketball, but we really want them to see Cleveland and really feel so wonderful about this community when they leave and go home,” Gilbert said.
Because as Patrick O’Brian, a fan enjoying his time at the MAC Tournament, said best: “Cleveland is a happening town folks!”
