COLUMBIA, S.C. — This week, officials from the City of Columbia delivered disappointing news to sports enthusiasts and event organizers: the capital city lost its bid to host NCAA March Madness events in 2027 and 2028.
Scott Powers, Executive Director at Experience Columbia S.C. Sports, shared the disappointment felt within his organization.
“We were disappointed, but not surprised honestly, with the decision not to be chosen,” Powers said.
Even though the city successfully hosted part of the tournament in 2019 and recently demonstrated the ability of the area to host large events like the Rivals in Red soccer match, Powers said Columbia faces a significant hurdle when it comes to full-service hotels and accommodations.
“The biggest part of what they (the NCAA) want is student-athlete experience," Powers said. "We can’t provide the same hotel experience for the best team that comes into town than we can for the least. We just come up short with not having eight hotels that can provide that."
He said that despite the area's over 13,000 hotel rooms, many do not meet the NCAA's requirements for quality, full-service lodging.
“You’re talking about a hotel that has four meeting rooms, three of which have to have at least 2,000 square feet. So, that kind of narrows down what hotel options that we have in Columbia,” Powers said.
While the capital city doesn’t have the hotel space today, plans are underway to develop properties that fit the bill.
Commercial property developer Ben Arnold said it’s long past time for a new full-service hotel to come to the city.
“Columbia has been ready to support a project like this,” Arnold said. "With the existing convention center’s growth, even before the pandemic, the market certainly warrants some full-service hotels."
Last year, his company received initial approval for tax incentives from Richland County to develop a four-star hotel on Wayne and Gervais streets.
That puts the new hotel immediately behind the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
“We have designed a 301-room 12-story Hyatt project,” Arnold said.
The hotel is slated to include a rooftop bar, a large restaurant, 24-hour room service and a resort-style swimming pool. Arnold said the project will go forward; they are just waiting for interest rates and the financial market to improve.
Powers said the hope is that if one full-service hotel is built, other developers will follow suit, putting the Midlands in a better spot to host larger nationally recognized events.