Hamilton County Commissioners voted this week on an agreement with Visit Cincy to develop the Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission and committed $150,000 to the sports commission in the county budget.
The goal is to get $1 million for the commission’s first-year operating budget, Julie Calvert, president and chief executive officer of Visit Cincy, told The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati City Council approved up to $250,000 in the city budget and funds would also come from Visit Cincy and the business community.
The Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission would be organized to foster amateur sports competition and to attract professional, collegiate, amateur, and community sports events to drive tourism and economic impact, according to the resolution passed by the county.
The resolution added that the county’s lodging tax would be the source of funds for financial assistance “and will specifically be used solely for marketing and to support bid efforts to attract sporting events to Hamilton County.”
The resolution is the second piece of sports-related news within Cincinnati this week for Hamilton County. Commissioners will vote next week on an agreement between it and the Cincinnati Bengals for $185 million in improvements to Paycor Stadium for the 2026 season. The agreement would be the first step toward both parties agreeing toward a new lease and up to $830 million in stadium renovations.
The Bengals have called Paycor Stadium home since 2000. It was originally named Paul Brown Stadium until the team sold the naming rights in August 2022.The first phase would cover upgrades to the club lounges, stadium suites and concessions. The Bengals would pay $120 million for those improvements and the county would pay $64.5 million for fixes to escalators, elevators, the electrical grid, glass refurbishment and fixes to the stadium scoreboard control room.
Both sides have until June 30 to agree to a new lease or approve the first of five two-year extensions. The Bengals’ original lease expires on June 30, 2026.
Copyright © 2025 by Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000