LA CROSSE, WI (WXOW)—University of Wisconsin La Crosse is hosting the 2013 NCAA Division III National Track and Field Championships on Memorial Day weekend; the weekend before the WIAA High School State Meet.
The NCAA organizes 27 different national championships with track and field the largest one.
Last year, NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships contributed $500,000 into the local economy.
"We really hope that happens again," Kim Blum, UW-L Associate Director of Athletics said. "Actually we know it will because people will come to town, stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants. The field for track is much larger than wrestling so we hope to bring a big group of people to La Crosse."
Last year's wrestling championship had the third highest attendance in NCAA Division III history with 8,617 fans in attendance.
This year, they're predicting just many people come to the track and field championships.
Despite all that, it's still not as big a draw as the WIAA High School State Meet UW-L hosts every year.
"With the high school state meet we do bring in 17-18 thousand people but all of the participants are from Wisconsin and they bring grandma and grandpas and moms and dads," Blum said.
Dave Clements, Executive Director, La Crosse Area Convention & Visitors Bureau said La Crosse is chosen to host these types of events because they're equipped for it.
"We have great venues," Clements said. "Wrestling was at the La Crosse Center, track at the new stadium so you've got venues that cater to these kinds of events."
Besides bringing in extra money, Clements said the main goal of these events is to give people a reason to come back to La Crosse.
UW-L also put in a bid to host the 2014 NCAA Division III National Track and Field Championships; they're hoping the hear if they'll host the meet two years in a row in October.
