'Out Of State Dollars Are Better': WCWS Tourism Boosts Oklahoma City Economy

The Women's College World Series is pulling fans from across the country to the Oklahoma City metro.

Sunday marks Games 9 and 10, and Devon Park was crawling with fans here to watch their teams compete for the title. But no matter who comes out on top, the Women's College World Series is a win for the state of Oklahoma.

"Sports tourism has a huge economic impact," Director of the Department of Tourism Shelley Zumwalt said.

The agency is predicting the Women's College World Series will attract over a 100,000 fans to the metro.

"It's a national event all corners of the United States will be coming to Oklahoma City," Zumwalt said.

Sunday, Alabama and Florida were scheduled to match up, followed by UCLA and Stanford.

From the West Coast to the Gulf Coast, fans are flocking to Oklahoma City.

"Inner-state dollars are great, but out-of-state dollars are better," Zumwalt said.

Not only do out-of-state fans attend the games, but they indulge in metro restaurants, Uber, and hotels, pumping money back into OKC's economy.

“We're expecting a $25 million economic impact to the area from just that weekend," Zumwalt said.

Pair that with recent sporting events like the PGA Tour in Tulsa, the Olympic trials at Riversport, and the NBA playoffs at the Paycom Center and the numbers speak for themselves.

"In the past two years we've had over $250 million of economic impact just from sports tourism in Oklahoma,” Zumwalt said.

She says her department is focused on bringing more events like the World Series to Oklahoma City, creating more growth and economic activity.