In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Publix Sports Park solidified its place as one of Florida’s most impactful youth and amateur sports destinations, turning what was once a strictly summer beach market into a year-round economic engine for Panama City Beach and Bay County.
Over the course of the year, the complex hosted more than 60 events, welcoming 106,000 guests, 42,000 participants, and 3,200 teams. Those visitors generated an estimated $73 million in direct visitor spending and more than $115 million in total economic impact for the region. Backed by The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) and the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Publix Sports Park continues to deliver on its core promise: fill hotel rooms, support local businesses, and diversify the local economy far beyond peak summer tourism.
Another Breakthrough Year for Sports Tourism
FY 2025 marked a new high-water mark for both economic impact and financial performance with facility revenue on track to exceed $2 million during that time, up from approximately $1.9 million in FY 24
This year-over-year growth in both economic impact and operating revenue reflects a deliberate strategy: build a tournament schedule that stretches into the shoulder seasons, invest in guest experience, and manage the facility like a business while still serving local needs.
A Tournament Calendar That Fills the Off-Season
Publix Sports Park was designed to keep the destination busy when the beaches are quieter—and the FY 2025 calendar delivered.
Working with long-standing national partners, the park hosted multi-day tournaments and championships across several key sports, including:
- Baseball and softball events with national organizers such as Grand Slam Sports Tournaments and the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA)
- Fastpitch softball championships with the United States Fastpitch Association (USFA)
- Youth and amateur football events that leverage large-format, multi-field layouts
- Soccer and lacrosse tournaments that take advantage of the park’s configurable rectangular fields
These events routinely span full weekends and, in some cases, nearly a week—driving hotel stays, restaurant visits, and retail spending during months when traditional beach tourism alone would not fill the market.
Because the complex features 13 configurable multi-purpose fields, including 9 synthetic turf and 4 natural grass fields, staff can transition quickly between sports and event types, reducing downtime and maximizing the number of event weekends per year.
Beyond Visitor Dollars: Serving the Local Community
While sports tourism is the headline, Publix Sports Park also serves as a home base for local athletes and organizations. In FY 2025, the park continued to expand its role as a community hub by:
- Supporting local clubs and schools as home fields, including Bay United, Rip City Soccer, Emerald Coast Academy, and Arnold High School boys’ soccer—the latter capturing a Class 5A state championship while calling the park home
- Providing regular access for practices, games, and leagues that keep fields active throughout the week, not just on tournament weekends
This dual mission—hosting major regional and national events while remaining accessible to local teams—ensures that the community shares in the benefits of a tourism-caliber asset, from elevated playing environments to expanded opportunities for youth athletes.
Strong Partnerships Behind the Numbers
Publix Sports Park’s FY 2025 success is underpinned by a continued public–private partnership that pairs local vision with national expertise.
- The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), operating as the destination marketing arm of the Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC), provides strategic leadership, funding, and destination marketing to attract high-value events.
- The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) manages the complex on behalf of the CVB/TDC, bringing industry-leading experience in booking, operations, staffing, and financial management.
Together, they have:
- Built a calendar anchored by national rights holders, including Grand Slam Sports Tournaments, USSSA Baseball, USFA, and Perfect Game USA
- Leveraged bid fees, sponsorships, and targeted sales efforts to attract and retain large, multi-day events
- Used storytelling around economic impact and event success to increase the park’s national visibility and strengthen its position with tournament operators
This alignment allows Publix Sports Park to consistently achieve dual goals: maximizing economic impact for the destination while steadily moving toward a sustainable, subsidy-efficient operating model.
Investing for the Future: Turf, Facilities, and Indoor Expansion
FY 2025 was not just about the current year’s events; it was also a year of strategic reinvestment.
Current and planned enhancements include:
- Conversion of remaining grass fields to synthetic turf, increasing field availability, reducing weather-related cancellations, and enabling more flexible scheduling across sports
- Ongoing facility maintenance and user-focused upgrades that keep the complex at a premier standard for athletes, families, and event owners
- Continued planning for a future indoor sports facility on the same campus—an expansion that will further increase year-round capacity, support technical conferences, and drive additional off-season visitation
These investments position Publix Sports Park as a standout outdoor complex and the anchor of multi-sport tourism for Panama City Beach.
A Destination Built to Keep Growing
From over 60 events and more than $115 million in annual economic impact in FY 2025, to a revenue line trending past $2 million and a growing slate of national partners, Publix Sports Park has become a cornerstone of Panama City Beach’s year-round tourism strategy.
As turf conversions advance and indoor expansion moves closer to reality, the complex is poised to do even more in the years ahead—welcoming new visitors, supporting local teams, and continuing to prove that youth and amateur sports can be one of the most resilient, reliable drivers of economic growth for coastal communities like Panama City Beach.
