Hall of Fame Details Hoop Hall's $900,000 Cost

Select Board · Meeting of April 15, 2026

Springfield's Planning and Economic Development Subcommittee heard that the Basketball Hall of Fame spends $900,000 a year producing the Hoop Hall Classic and often loses money on it. President and CEO John DeLiva said the event generates an estimated $11 million in regional economic impact, with 85 percent of ticket sales coming from outside the 413 area code, Vice President Greg Puccino said. Hotel rates near the event have risen 35 percent since 2024, and the Hall of Fame has received only $15,000 in Convention and Visitors Bureau grants over 24 years, with two $25,000 requests denied last year.

Councilor Hurst asked, "Why are we just now talking about this now?" and requested a bulleted list of asks from the Hall of Fame and hospitality industry. The MassMutual Center will open its convention space in January for the first time in roughly a decade, though for a separate Nike tournament, not Hoop Hall Classic.

In the full story:

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• Springfield's community access TV: Select Board meeting, April 15, 2026
• The complete report: 713 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of April 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.