The NCAA 2018 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship is set to unfold in the Twin Cities next week and, with the buzzy atmosphere it will bring, the event is expected to have an estimated economic impact of more than $11 million in direct spending.

The spending impact factors in all aspects of the championship event: the semifinal games on December 13 at 7 and 8 p.m., the finals on December 15 at 8 p.m., and the corresponding annual American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Convention occurring December 12 through 16.

“By securing this championship event, our hotels, local businesses and residents will benefit economically from the influx of teams, coaches and their supporters who will spend several days experiencing all that Minneapolis has to offer,” said Melvin Tennant, executive director of Sports Minneapolis and president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis, in a statement.

The AVCA convention itself is expected to draw 2,800 attendees, and will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Meanwhile, tickets for the volleyball tournament — which will be held at the Target Center — are nearly sold out.

Volleyball-related events are already in the books in the lead up to the tournament’s start. Some of those include:

• Open practices at the Target Center — Wednesday, Dec. 12, scheduled for 10 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 1:20 p.m. and 2:55 p.m.
• Pep rallies at The Pourhouse Downtown — Thursday, Dec. 13 beginning at 4 p.m.
• Under Armour® Girls High School All-America Volleyball match at the Target Center — Friday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. (The 24-best female high school seniors in the nation were selected, including two Minnesota players: Izzy Ashburn and Lauren Clark, both of Champlin Park High School.)
• Red carpet and team welcome event at the Target Center — Saturday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.

The 2018 Championship marks the first time in 30 years that Minneapolis has hosted the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Championship. The event also comes just a few months after Minneapolis secured hosting duties for the NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball tournament in 2022.

“This community does a great job of supporting women’s sports,” said Tennant, “and we’re looking forward to showing off our city to the visitors who will be making their way to Minneapolis for the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.”

The full tournament bracket can be found here, while a guide to the Volleyball Championship Minneapolis festivities can be found on Meet Minneapolis.

At press time, the University of Minnesota Gophers themselves were fighting for a spot in the semi-finals, with a Friday afternoon game and a potential Saturday game left to win.