Governor Crist Highlights $36 Billion Sports Industry In Florida

Governor Charlie Crist today attended the Don Shula Statue and Corporate Office Unveiling to pay tribute to the former Miami Dolphin’s head coach.

As part of his ongoing commitment to strengthening Florida’s economy, the Governor emphasized the importance of the $36 billion-a-year sports industry in Florida.

The Governor has also declared this pro-football Sports Week in Florida, recognizing sporting events from the Pro Bowl to the Super Bowl. The Pro-Bowl is being played in Florida for the first time.

“Don Shula and the Dolphins are without a doubt an iconic part of Florida’s sports history,” said Governor Crist. “People love the Sunshine State for many reasons, and the continued presence of a variety of sporting events and teams remains a significant attraction for residents and visitors. Florida’s many sports organizations are an important component of Florida’s economic health.”

Founded by Joseph Robbie, The Dolphins belong to the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL) and are the oldest continuous major-league professional sports franchise in the state of Florida. For most of their history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula, professional football’s most successful head coach.

Since 1999, Florida’s sports industry has grown from a $16 billion a year industry to an estimated $36-billion-a-year industry, employing more than 400,000 Floridians. Florida is home to nine major professional sports franchises in the Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, National Football League, and National Basketball Association, as well as NASCAR, the PGA Tour, the LPGA, and the PGA of America. In each of the four major sports leagues, a Florida team has won its championship within the last six years: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2002 Super Bowl Champions; Florida Marlins, 2003 World Series Champions; Tampa Bay Lightning, 2004 Stanley Cup Champions; and Miami Heat, 2006 NBA Finals Champions.

Last year, Super Bowl XLIII, held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, was the 14th Super Bowl hosted by the Sunshine State, and the fourth in Tampa. Florida has hosted more Super Bowls than any other state – including four since 2000 – and Tampa is one of only four cities in the United States to host the Super Bowl at least four times. The Super Bowl is the world’s largest one-day sporting event, and the economic impact of Super Bowl XLIII is $300 million.

In addition to the Super Bowl, Florida also hosts other championship games. The BCS National Championship for college football was held in Miami in January 2009. Florida is also home to 16 of the 30 Major League Baseball club’s spring training programs in 15 locations, making it the nation’s leader for such training. Annual attendance during March spring training averages 1.56 million each year, an economic impact of more than $450 million.

In addition, Florida offers many world-class venues for sports and recreation. The Sunshine State boasts more than 1,200 golf courses, where more than 58 million rounds of golf are played each year. With a 44 percent share of the golf travel market, Florida remains the No. 1 destination for more than 5 million golf travelers each year. Last week, the Governor attended the 57th Annual PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center alongside PGA CEO Joe Steranka. The golf industry also brings in 167,000 jobs and $4.7 billion in wages to Floridians. The show was the world’s largest business-to-business golf event, featuring more than 1,000 top industry vendors from all 50 states and more than 70 countries.

Governor Crist today joined Steve Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins; Mike Dee, chief executive officer of the Miami Dolphins; Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner; Don Shula, Hall of Fame Coach; Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz of Miami-Dade County; and Bob Griese, Hall of Fame Quarterback.

About the Florida Sports Foundation

Overseen by the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, the Florida Sports Foundation was founded in 1992 as the state’s lead organization in promoting and developing both amateur and professional sports. The Foundation’s goal is to develop and promote professional, amateur, and recreational sports and physical fitness opportunities that produce a thriving Florida sports industry and environment.

Topics: AFC, American Football Conference, college football, Don Shula, Don Shula Corporate Office, Don Shula Statue, economic development, economic growth, economic health, employment, Florida, Florida Marlins, Florida Sports Foundation, Governance, government, Governor Charlie Crist, head coach, jobs, LPGA, Major League Baseball, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, MLB, monitor, NASCAR, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, NBA, news, NFL, PGA of America, PGA Tour, Pro Bowl, Pro Football Sports Week, professional sports, sports, Sunshine States, Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, tourism, trade

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