Kansas City Royals owner David Glass recently said people were skeptical 10 years ago about whether Northwest Arkansas could support a double-A minor league baseball franchise.
But the area has shown strong support for the Springdale-based franchise. More than 300,000 fans have gone through the gates of Arvest Ballpark in nine of the 10 seasons the Northwest Arkansas Naturals have existed, according to the team’s attendance records.
Glass, a Bentonville resident, keeps an eye on his Royals’ affiliate, attending a few games each season, particularly opening day. This year’s home season opener is April 5 against the Corpus Christi Hooks.
Baseball is just one of the professional sports available in the area.
The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, an LPGA golf tournament, is in its 12th year at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. The overall purse increased from $1.2 million to $2 million in 2010.
Crowds gather on the course to watch professionals from all over the world compete, and former Razorback standout Stacy Lewis draws some of the biggest galleries. A variety of events throughout the week such as a fairly new food festival, and a concert set the stage for the tournament on the weekend.
The Joe Martin Stage Race is a four-day professional men’s and women’s cycling race and a two-day amateur stage race held each spring. This year marks the 41st anniversary of the amateur races, 16th year being on the USA Cycling Pro Racing Tour and fourth year to be on the Union Cycliste Internationale America Tour calendar.
The racing event draws more than 750 athletes and teams from 27 countries and all 50 states, according to the race website.
Rodeo of the Ozarks will come to Springdale for its 74th year this summer. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association rated the event as one of the top five outdoor rodeos in the country. More than 400 cowboys and cowgirls took part in events ranging from bull riding to team roping in 2017.
The Fishing League Worldwide Tour has stopped at Beaver Lake 19 times over the years. The 2017 FLW Tour drew 322 bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers to Northwest Arkansas. The tour is bypassing the region this year.
J.R. Shaw, executive director of Visit Rogers, said professional sporting events bring a level of awareness and credibility that show Northwest Arkansas is a desirable destination.
“If you have a marquee event that generates a lot of buzz, gets national attention, is televised, you can’t buy that kind of stuff,” Shaw said. “That’s almost priceless.”
He said tracking economic impact is difficult, but called it major. The LPGA, for example, means more than just golfers are coming to the area. The event also draws fans, press and vendors, he said.
“And what happens when someone goes down the street to catch an event? They make a day of it,” Shaw said. “They will get something to eat, ride the trails, go shopping. There is a ripple effect.”
Home run
Justin Cole, general manager of the NWA Naturals, said it’s a big task to stay relevant in an area where competition for the entertainment dollar grows with the population.
“I look at at the next 10 years just like the first 10,” Cole said. “I hope to be sitting here saying some of the exact same things. We continue to average over 300,000 fans. For us, the key is not differentiating yourself, but how do you continue to generate excitement about something that isn’t new anymore?
“You always knew that was coming, but a lot of stuff has come online that is new. For us, it’s maintaining affordability, being family friendly and accessibility. Those are three pillars that we can not lose sight of in the midst of everything else that we want to do.”
The schedule of 140 games, including 70 home games from April through July, is a challenge, Cole said. But it also gives fans lots of opportunities.
The Naturals are part of the Texas League, which includes teams in Little Rock; Springfield, Mo.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Frisco, Corpus Christi, Midland and San Antonio, Texas.
Many of the key players who helped Kansas City win the World Series in 2015 played in Northwest Arkansas. Naturals fans developed a connection early on with players such as Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez. Hosmer and Moustakas were key cogs as the Naturals won the Texas League championship in 2010.
But even nonbaseball fans are drawn to the Naturals because of jersey or bobblehead giveaways and other special activities at the ballpark. Faith and Family Night, which includes a pregame concert and postgame fireworks, continues to be one of the most popular promotions. There are two of those again scheduled this season, Cole said.
Teeing off
LPGA commissioner Michael Whan said the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship stands out.
“When we’re talking to other sponsors and tournaments to assess what it takes to be a good LPGA event, eight out of 10 times we bring them to Northwest Arkansas,” he said.
This year’s tournament will be one of 34 LPGA events around the world this season. The LPGA added three events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Shanghai this year.
Northwest Arkansas gives a welcoming, hometown vibe to the tournament, Whan said.
“We have a large percentage of our players that don’t stay in hotels for this tournament,” he said. “People open up their homes. They are riding up in golf carts of the people they are staying with. You walk around and see a block party or a cook out. As a commissioner, it puts a smile on your face.”
The tournament is affordable as prices for a daily ticket were lowered from $15 to $10 in 2016, and crowds have continued to grow in the past couple of years, according to Jay Allen, event chairman.
Tournament leaders sell a three-day pass for $25, while kids 17 and younger get in free with a ticketed adult.
Whan said the Rogers tournament has a big purse with an incredible field.
“You look at any other sport where 85 or 90 of the top 100 come to an event. That’s a major on the men’s side,” he said. “With such a busy schedule, it’s easy for them to skip an event and just pick and choose. Almost all of them pick this one.”
Paul Boyd can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaulb.