Minneapolis (Oct. 14, 2025) – From championship teams on the court and ice, to record-setting crowds at national tournaments, to a pipeline of world-class athletes and coaches, Minneapolis has built something rare: a community where women’s sports take center stage.

Today, Meet Minneapolis unveiled Minneapolis: The #1 City for Women’s Sports – an initiative that recognizes the city’s leadership in hosting, supporting and celebrating women’s sports at every level. The campaign includes a dedicated webpage, an op-ed co-authored by Meet Minneapolis and Minnesota Sports & Events, and a suite of assets to help community partners share and celebrate our story across their own platforms.

The Case for #1: Minneapolis Has the Receipts

• Events hosted: Since 1980, no city has hosted more major women’s sporting events. From the 1986 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships to the 2025 Women’s Elite Rugby Legacy Cup, Minneapolis has hosted more than 50 major pro, college or amateur girls’ and women’s sporting events in the past 45 years.
• Championship teams: Professional teams in the Minneapolis region have claimed 11 championships, second only to Boston. Among the title-winning teams, the Minnesota Lynx have raised four WNBA banners, and the PWHL’s Minnesota Frost has won the past two Walter Cups.
• Professional presence: The Minneapolis region is home to six professional women’s teams, with only New York City having more. Those teams are Minnesota Aurora FC (USL W League*), Minnesota Frost (PWHL), Minnesota Lynx (WNBA), Minnesota Strike (Premier Ultimate League), Minnesota Vixen (Women's Football Alliance), and Twin Cities Gemini (Women's Elite Rugby). * pre-professional
• Collegiate success: Minneapolis is the home of 35 women’s national championships since 1980 – seven national titles from the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team and an unprecedented 28 combined championships from the Golden Gopher dance and cheer teams.
• Pro sports attendance: Since entering the league in 1999, the Minnesota Lynx rank sixth all-time in WNBA attendance (among teams with three or more seasons), averaging over 8,000 fans per game at Target Center. In nearby St. Paul, the Minnesota Frost has led the PWHL in attendance the past two seasons with nearly 7,000 fans per game at Grand Casino Arena. Meanwhile, TCO Stadium in Eagan often hosts near-capacity crowds for Minnesota Aurora FC matches.
• College sports attendance: Since 2012, the University of Minnesota ranks second in per-game attendance for women’s hockey (1,964 fans) and fourth for women’s volleyball (4,593). Meanwhile, women's basketball attendance has been over 4,000 fans per game for the last two seasons. Since 2012, Minneapolis is one of only four cities to average 3,500 or more fans per game in both NCAA Division I women’s basketball and volleyball.
• Youth participation: Minnesota is a national leader in girls’ sports participation, providing opportunities, support and community for girls to succeed. Minnesota ranks fifth nationally for girls’ sports participation and fourth for high school girls’ participation. Despite being the 22nd most populous state, Minnesota has the 10th-highest number of girls’ high school sports participants.
• Infrastructure: Downtown Minneapolis boasts three world-class facilities and an award-winning convention center – which hosts a range of sporting events – within a mile of each other. The nearby University of Minnesota campus is home to a wide variety of sports facilities that can support a multitude of sporting events. The area's newest venue, Allianz Field, is a beautiful soccer stadium located halfway between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. With more top-tier facilities around the Twin Cities like Grand Casino Arena, the TCO Performance Center and the National Sports Center, few cities can match the Minneapolis area’s sports infrastructure.
• Thought leadership: Minneapolis is home to the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, the nation’s only academic center devoted to accelerating change for girls and women in sport and physical activity.

Diversity, Representation and Inclusion
Minneapolis’ leadership in women’s sports extends beyond hosting and winning – it’s about equity, access and opportunity. Our teams, athletes and organizations reflect the diversity of our community across race, gender identity and sexual orientation. From BIPOC trailblazers and LGBTQ+ athletes to the growing number of women in sports leadership, Minneapolis celebrates every woman and girl who plays, leads and inspires. Our definition of “#1” is one that includes everyone.

A Regional Effort with National Impact
This recognition extends beyond city limits – with contributions from teams, venues, organizations and fans across St. Paul, Bloomington, Eagan, Blaine and the greater metro. Together, this forms a regional powerhouse for women’s sports.

Why It Matters
Declaring Minneapolis as the #1 City for Women’s Sports is more than civic pride. It strengthens the city’s national reputation, drives recruitment of athletes and major events, boosts the visitor economy, and reflects the city’s ongoing commitment to equity, opportunity and inclusion through sport.

Women’s sporting events have proven to be powerful economic drivers for Minneapolis. Major events such as the NCAA Women’s Final Four, Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament and U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials have generated tens of millions in visitor spending, hotel stays and local business revenue. This success is made possible by a collaborative network of teams, businesses, nonprofits and community leaders across the metro who believe in advancing equity through sport.

Destination Minneapolis: Charting the Future of Minneapolis Tourism
The #1 City for Women’s Sports initiative is an important element of Meet Minneapolis’ 10-year destination master plan. Unveiled in February 2025, “Destination Minneapolis: Charting the Future of Minneapolis Tourism” is a forward-thinking strategy designed to improve the city’s competitiveness in attracting meetings, events and visitors while delivering tangible benefits to residents, workers and businesses across Minneapolis and the entire state. The plan identified six big ideas to help transform the city’s visitor economy and enhance the quality of life for residents. One of those goals was to “establish Minneapolis as the #1 city for women’s sports.”

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ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS
Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to positively impact the economic and social prosperity of the Minneapolis community. Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Kathy McCarthy, Senior PR Director, (o) 612-767-8048, (c) 612-508-9720, kathym@minneapolis.org
Kevin Kurtt, PR Manager, (o) 612-767-8118, (c) 952-288-9319, kevink@minneapolis.org