A Message From the Director Dear Greater Columbus Sports Commission supporter:
Columbus had a great year in 2010 and our sports commission is proud to have played a strong role, within the sports community and beyond, in the city's growth. The GCSC had a significant number of firsts in 2010, which we hope will continue to build our momentum to bigger things in the future.
In the past year, Columbus has hosted numerous sporting events including in March, the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Games for the first-time ever, with more than 10,000 fans in attendance at the Schottenstein Center.
Another first and one of GCSC's crowning achievements in 2010 was Columbus hosting the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) Sports Event Symposium, which is the sports marketing industry's most prestigious annual conference. More than 425 organizations that are responsible for bringing sporting events to over 300 cities were impressed by Columbus and all of its offerings, including our facilities, heritage, entertainment and amenities. Hosting this event will provide a tremendous amount of opportunity to the GCSC in the future. Cleveland Indians President Mark Shapiro, Ohio State Head Football Coach Jim Tressel and OSU Legends Archie Griffin and Clark Kellogg were guest speakers and brought unprecedented level of energy to the conference.
Keeping focus on the heritage of sports in Ohio, in June, the GCSC hosted The 7th Annual Morning Sports Report at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. This year's MSR was even more special as the event brought together for the first time Ohio State's four living Heisman Trophy Winners: Howard "Hopalong" Cassady (1955), Archie Griffin (1974, 1975), Eddie George (1995) and Troy Smith (2006) for a joint, sit-down interview and special "O-H-I-O" photo. Look for details soon on our 8th annual breakfast in June 2011.
In July, Columbus received the good news that the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) would bring the state football finals to Ohio's capital city in 2014 and 2015. It marks the first time the high school state finals will be held in Columbus since 1989. The six division championship games will be played in Ohio Stadium in December of each year, generating as much as $5 million in visitor spending. OHSAA Commissioner Daniel B. Ross stated, "(We) are also confident that Central Ohio has tremendous qualities of its own and that the energy and enthusiasm shown by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and the staff at Ohio State will help us create outstanding new traditions."
In 2010, GCSC is also proud to have added to our family of corporate supporters with Home Team Marketing (HTM) and Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. HTM, based in Cleveland, provides sales and marketing support for State High School Athletic Associations across the nation and is the official agency of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has built a diverse portfolio of varied concepts, ranging from multi-location upscale destinations to single neighborhood favorites. Restaurants in Central Ohio include Cameron's American Bistro, M, Martini Modern Bistro, Cap City Diner, Molly Woo's, Mitchell's Ocean Club and Marcella's.
As we strive to bring sporting events of all sizes to Columbus, please stay up-to-date on all events, including our local teams, by visiting the GCSC at www.ColumbusSports.org. Stay connected with us via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, which you will find below in the 'About Us' section.
Thank you again for your support of your Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
Sincerely,
Linda Shetina Logan
Executive Director
Columbus along with Iowa City, Iowa and Pine Bluffs, Iowa were selected as finalists to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling. The local organizing committees for each city will make in-person presentations on behalf of their bid in January in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A committee will review the finalist bid presentations and an announcement on the bid selected to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling is targeted for mid to late January. The event will be held the weekend of April 20-21, 2012.
The wrestling event will feature competition in the three Olympic styles of the sport: men's freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. The weightlifting event will include both men's and women's weight divisions. The competition will determine the U.S. athletes in both sports who will qualify to represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
Read full story »
 The Greater Columbus Sports Commission has named Bruce A. Wimbish II to the newly-created position of Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, Executive Director Linda Shetina Logan announced today.
Wimbish will be responsible for all aspects of the organizations marketing and communications strategies, including media relations and community relations. The position is also responsible for generating positive exposure for the GCSC and the Columbus area as a destination for sporting events, while developing marketing and media relations plans to support designated hosted events brought to the city. Read full story »
 The Greater Columbus Sports Commission has partnered in the sale of a commemorative photograph of The Ohio State University's living Heisman Trophy winners spelling out "O-H-I-O" that was captured during The Morning Sports Report.
The iconic photo features Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, Archie Griffin, Eddie George and Troy Smith expressing their Buckeye pride by spelling out "O-H-I-O." The print measures 13x19 inches, is double matted in OSU colors and framed in black wood at a size of 19x25 inches. The cost is $175 and sales of the framed photograph—available at www.ColumbusSports.org—benefit the Greater Columbus Sports Commission's sales and marketing efforts for the city.
 The Greater Columbus Sports Commission is continually in need of volunteers to support various sports events held in the city. Volunteers are needed for the 2011 Arnold Sports Festival from March 4-6, 2011. The Arnold Sports Festival, co-produced by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer, is the largest multi-sport Festival in the nation. To learn about volunteering, visit the Arnold Sports Festival site.
The "Columbus Sports Scene" blog is an all-new blog for the Greater Columbus Sports Commission (GCSC) hosted by Linda Logan, Executive Director of the GCSC and one of the most-respected sports authorities in Columbus today. This blog will be for those who want to be in-the-know for everything sports in Columbus. Follow the Columbus Sports Scene Blog at blog.columbussports.org.
Did You Know About Columbus Sports?
Soccer: Did You Know that Columbus was a top-ranked television market for the 2010 FIFA World Cup? According to the Crew, Columbus ranked 4th in the country in viewership during the World Cup.
Women's soccer in Central Ohio had a tremendous amount of accomplishments in 2010. OSU women's soccer team concluded the season with a 17-5-2 record, tallying the second-most wins in program history and reached the College Cup for the first time. Otterbein made their first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance and Denison made the NCAA quarterfinals. The Pickerington North girls soccer team lost in the OHSAA state final.
High School Football: Congratulations to Bishop Watterson High School and Bishop Hartley High School in this year's Ohio High School Athletic Association State Football Tournament for winning the Division III and Division IV championships, respectively, held in Massillon and Canton. In addition to becoming State Champions, the schools made more history in becoming the first ever Franklin County and in particular, Columbus schools, to win championships in the same year!
About Greater Columbus Sports Commission
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission (GCSC) was formed in June 2002 to provide leadership, guidance and marketing expertise in attracting regional, national and international sporting events and activities to bolster Greater Columbus economically and socially. Since its inception, GCSC has bid on and brought more than 150 new sporting events to Columbus that have generated an estimated $150 million in visitor spending. GCSC also works to retain annual bid events that have generated an additional $100 million in visitor spending.
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