Economic Leakage Report

Oregon Exports
an estimated
$110M annually

Every year, Oregon youth basketball and volleyball families travel to Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Anaheim to compete — because Oregon has no facility capable of hosting the events they need. That spending leaves Oregon's economy permanently. Here is the step-by-step methodology behind the $110M estimate.

Step-by-step methodology

Oregon Youth Population (Ages 6–17)

U.S. Census ACS 2019–2023 five-year estimates. Oregon total population ~4.3M. Under-18 represents 20.2% of the state — slightly below the national average of 22.2%.

860K

youth ages 6–17

↓

Organized Sport Participation Rate

Aspen Institute Project Play 2025 Survey (Utah State / Louisiana Tech): 54.6% of U.S. children ages 6–17 play organized sports. Applied to Oregon's 860K youth population.

470K

organized sport participants

↓

Basketball + Volleyball Share of Participants

Basketball is a top-3 youth sport nationally. Volleyball is top-5 for girls. Together they represent an estimated 16% of Oregon organized sport participants — a conservative figure given the sports' strong regional culture in the Pacific Northwest.

75K

basketball + volleyball players

↓

Club & Travel Team Participation Rate

Approximately 25–30% of youth sport participants compete on travel or club teams that require out-of-area tournament travel. Basketball and volleyball skew higher than average due to their structured club ecosystems (AAU, USAV, EYBL). Estimate: 28%.

21K

club / travel athletes

↓

Annual Out-of-State Travel Spend Per Family

Aspen Institute: avg. $414/yr travel across all sports. Club-intensive sports run significantly higher — industry benchmarks show $1,500–$3,000/yr for travel teams (hotel, meals, fuel, entry fees). Conservative mid-range used: $1,800/family/year.

$1,800

per family / per year

↓

Direct Outbound Travel Spend

21,000 families × $1,800. With no Oregon facility to host regional qualifiers or national events, an estimated 65–70% of this spend exits the state entirely — going to hotels, restaurants, and venues in competing markets.

~$25M

direct outbound annually

↓

Lost Inbound Tournament Revenue (Import Deficit)

Oregon cannot host national or regional qualifiers for basketball or volleyball. Comparable markets with proper facilities (Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Spokane) attract teams from 4–8 surrounding states. Each qualifying event generates $500K–$5M+ in direct local spend. Oregon's share: near zero. Estimated annual miss: $20M+.

~$20M

missed inbound annually

↓

Total Direct Gap + Economic Multiplier

Combined direct leakage (~$45M) multiplied by the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) standard 2.3× economic multiplier, which accounts for indirect and induced effects — hotel payroll, restaurant supply chains, local retail, and tax revenue. This is the same methodology used in official economic impact studies for sports tourism across the U.S.

2.3×

Sports ETA multiplier

How the $110M is calculated

Direct Outbound

$25M

Oregon families spending at out-of-state venues & hotels

Lost Inbound

$20M

Tournament visitors Oregon cannot attract without a host facility

Sports ETA Multiplier

2.3×

Total economic impact including indirect & induced effects

Total Economic Impact

~$110M

Oregon's estimated annual youth sports tourism deficit

The before & after

● Without FuturePlay — Oregon Today

Dollars leave.
Athletes travel out.

Oregon families must travel out of state for Nike EYBL qualifiers, USAV national qualifiers, AAU championships, and regional bids. Every hotel night, restaurant meal, and tournament dollar lands in another state's economy.

Seattle, WA Las Vegas, NV Phoenix, AZ Anaheim, CA Salt Lake City, UT Spokane, WA

● With FuturePlay — Oregon's Opportunity

Dollars stay.
Visitors arrive.

A 141,000 SF campus built to Nike EYBL, USAV, and NCAA broadcast standards transforms Oregon from an exporter into a destination. Teams from Washington, Idaho, and Northern California travel here — generating hotel nights, meals, and tax revenue for Oregon.

USAV National Qualifiers Nike EYBL Events AAU Championships Regional Bids Inbound Tourism

Oregon's Estimated Net Annual
Youth Sports Tourism Deficit

Based on Census population data, Aspen Institute participation rates, club travel spend benchmarks from industry research, inbound event modeling against comparable markets, and the Sports ETA 2023 economic multiplier standard. This figure represents the combined annual cost to Oregon of having no national-level indoor sports facility — money that flows permanently to competing markets that built the infrastructure first.

Key assumptions & sources

Youth Population

860,000

U.S. Census ACS 2019–2023. Oregon total pop. ~4.3M; under-18 = 20.2%.

Sport Participation Rate

54.6%

Aspen Institute Project Play 2025 Parent Survey, Utah State University & Louisiana Tech.

Basketball + Volleyball Share

~16%

Conservative blended estimate. Basketball top-3, volleyball top-5 for girls in national participation data.

Club / Travel Team Rate

~28%

Higher than average for basketball + volleyball due to structured AAU, USAV, and EYBL club ecosystems.

Travel Spend Per Family

$1,800/yr

Aspen Institute ($414 avg. all sports). Travel team benchmarks: $1,500–$3,000 (RAIS Education; Beyond the Dugout; Jersey Watch 2025).

Economic Multiplier

2.3×

Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) State of the Industry 2023. Industry standard for youth sports economic impact analysis.

Oregon Exports an estimated $110M annually

Oregon's Estimated Net AnnualYouth Sports Tourism Deficit

Oregon Exports
an estimated
$110M annually

Oregon's Estimated Net Annual
Youth Sports Tourism Deficit