Luke Eustice is the director of the Iowa City Area Sports Commission, where he leads the charge in recruiting, supporting, and executing sporting events across Johnson County and the Corridor.
In this episode, Nate is also joined by J.R. Ogden, a veteran sports journalist who spent 48 years as an editor and contributor at the Gazette in Cedar Rapids, and now brings his wealth of experience to the Corridor Business Journal as a regular columnist.
Luke shares his firsthand perspective on the business of sports, the economic impact of major events, and the unique qualities that set the Corridor apart as a destination. He discusses the growth of local facilities, the challenges of hosting national tournaments, and the collaborative spirit that fuels the area’s success. Additionally, J.R. reflects on the changing landscape of sports coverage, the business side of athletics, and the stories that resonate most with readers. He offers insights into the region’s sporting culture, the rise of youth sports, and the people and places that make the Corridor a special place for athletes, fans, and the local economy.
Sponsored by MidWestOne Bank, this is the latest edition of the CBJ’s Real Success with Nate Kaeding and notable Iowa business and cultural leaders.
Real Success with Nate Kaeding was named Best Business Podcast at the 2024 Iowa Podcast Awards.
Nate Kaeding: Luke, can you start by describing your role and how you’ve seen the business of sports evolve in the Corridor during your tenure with the Iowa City Area Sports Commission?
Luke Eustice: I left Iowa Athletics in 2019, where I was very involved in development, particularly with the (Xtream) arena. Back then, we realized that we needed to grow our sports sales in the community, especially since we had a new attractor coming online. So I transitioned over here in 2019, initially as manager of sport development under Think Iowa City, our local destination marketing organization.
As things grew and the arena came online, the need to expand what we were doing became evident. That’s when we created the Sports Commission and my current role. Now, I work with two other incredible colleagues, and together, we tackle all things sports in Johnson County. The growth has been significant. Today, we’re involved in about 42 events throughout the year, ranging from events we own and operate ourselves to those where we provide support, marketing, and execution assistance. The scale and scope have definitely increased over the years.
What kinds of events do you recruit and manage, and how involved are you in each?
Luke: There’s a wide range. We have about 42 events annually, but that number can go up or down depending on the year. Some events, like Donnybrook (an 85-team high school wrestling tournament) and Soldier Salute (our college wrestling tournament), are fully owned by the Sports Commission. These are the heaviest lifts because we’re in charge of everything — from the budget to the execution.
Other events, like state championships, are a bit different. We’re not in charge of the personnel, which is nice, but we supplement their efforts — helping with logistics, marketing, and anything that can make their lives easier. Then there are events where our involvement is more about providing a little funding or logistical support to ensure their success, hoping they’ll want to keep coming back. No matter the level of involvement, our goal is to make the experience in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty as positive as possible for everyone involved.
J.R., you’ve covered sports in this region for decades. How has the sports climate changed over the years?
J.R. Ogden: The attention that sports get has really changed. People want coverage of everything — no matter how big or small — from youth gymnastics to college meets. That’s always been the case to some degree, but now it’s on a much larger scale. In the newspaper business, people always wanted to see their name or their kid’s name in print. That hasn’t changed, but the scale and business side of it have grown immensely.
Sports have become a huge business — youth sports especially. It’s not something that happened overnight; it’s been building for a long time. The business side is now woven into the fabric of our culture, with economic development, tourism, and community identity all tied to sports in ways that weren’t as pronounced decades ago.
Luke, can you talk about the economic impact of sports events and how the business side has become more prominent?
Luke: Sports events are a business, and our job is to make sure that the businesses running youth sports and tournaments are successful so they want to return. Everything we do is about helping those organizations make money and have a positive experience, which in turn benefits our community.
Facilities like the Iowa River Landing in Coralville have become anchors for commercial development. They bring in restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that thrive on the influx of visitors. These facilities are economic engines, and the ripple effect is substantial — hotels fill up, restaurants get busy, and local businesses benefit from increased foot traffic.
When you’re pitching Iowa City and the Corridor as a destination for events, what sets this community apart?
Luke: Our edge is in how we work. I tell my team that our differentiator is the willingness to do more for the client than anyone else. We’re there when the doors open and after they close, making sure everything is set up for the next day. That work ethic is rooted in my upbringing in wrestling — rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done. Not a lot of places are willing to go that extra mile.
Another unique aspect is our community itself. When visitors are here, they often mention how friendly people are — strangers will ask what brings them to town, making them feel welcome. Add to that the amenities we have — the Iowa River Landing, downtown Iowa City, great restaurants, and more. All of these factors combine to make for a better experience and greater success for the events we host.
J.R., from your perspective, how do you see the intersection of sports, business, and community in the Corridor?
J.R.: There’s a club for every sport now — wrestling, gymnastics, volleyball, dance studios, and more. The infrastructure and investment in sports have grown alongside the business side. Facilities are being repurposed, expanded, and built to accommodate the demand. There’s also a trickle-down effect: The economic impact of events funds local government initiatives, recreation centers, and quality-of-life projects.
But it’s not just about the big events or the dollars. The human stories — the people who run these organizations, the athletes, the volunteers — are at the heart of it all. There are endless stories to tell about how sports shape our community and create opportunities for people to succeed in business and life.
Luke, can you walk us through the economics of hosting a youth sports tournament?
Luke: When we host a tournament, like the state middle school basketball championship, the process usually starts with a bid or a site visit. The event organizers look for available dates, facilities, and what kind of support we can offer. Sometimes we provide financial support, but often it’s about building a relationship and ensuring their needs are met — whether that’s connecting them with facilities, helping with logistics, or simply being available to solve problems.
Organizers typically lease the facility, cover upfront and marketing costs, and collect revenue from gate and concessions. Increasingly, there’s also a business around hotel bookings — organizers may contract with hotels, receive commissions on room blocks, and even require teams to stay at specific hotels in exchange for reduced registration fees. We assist with hotel leads and gathering rates, but the organizers often make a profit from these arrangements.
At the end of the year, we try to quantify our impact — how many events, hotel rooms booked, and estimated dollars spent. While it’s not a perfect science, we rely on a mix of hard data and feedback from hotels and restaurants to gauge success.
What are some of the more unusual or unique events you’ve tried to bring to the Corridor?
Luke: One of my “white whales” is the Beard and Mustache National Championships. I went out to Casper, Wyoming, to see it, and I think it would be a huge hit in downtown Iowa City, especially with the student crowd. The event is a mix of competition and bar crawl, and the participants really feed off the energy of the crowd.
We’re also looking at events outside traditional sports. For example, my daughter is involved in ballet, and I realized we weren’t hosting high-level dance competitions here, despite having great facilities like Hancher. So, we worked with local partners to bring in the Universal Ballet Company, which has been a huge success and could even lead to hosting international finals in the future. The economics are compelling—these events bring people in for several nights, filling hotels and restaurants during slower periods.
Can you give an example of how a major event partnership comes together—like the Savannah Bananas coming to Kinnick Stadium?
Luke: The Savannah Bananas are a great example. Scott Brickman at the University of Iowa has a relationship with Jesse, the owner of the Bananas, from their time in minor league baseball. That relationship opened the door, and as the Bananas’ popularity exploded, the university saw an opportunity to bring them to Kinnick.
We were brought in to help with the bid, logistics, and marketing. The state also helped, as Iowa recently passed a tourism bill to support large events. The Bananas handle their own ticketing and bring a large staff, but we make sure the facilities are ready, help with hotel arrangements, and provide on-the-ground support. It’s a huge undertaking, but the benefits to the community—both economic and in terms of visibility—are significant.
How do you measure the success and impact of these events?
Luke: We track as much as we can—hotel room blocks, attendance, feedback from businesses—but it’s not an exact science. Sometimes the impact is felt in ways that aren’t immediately quantifiable, like the “halo effect” of people posting about their experiences or televised coverage that puts our community in the national spotlight.
We also look at the feedback from event organizers, hotels, and restaurants. Did they see an uptick in business? Did the event feel successful? If so, we know we’re on the right track and can work to keep those events coming back.
J.R., what are some storylines and trends you’re interested in exploring as you cover the business of sports in the Corridor?
J.R.: I’m fascinated by the logistics of putting on major tournaments—like the NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships, which Iowa is co-hosting for the first time. There’s a lot to unpack: economic impact, challenges, and what it takes to make these events successful.
I’m also interested in the growth of programs at smaller colleges, like Mount Mercy starting a football team for the first time in over a century. How do you build a program from scratch? What’s the business case? Beyond the numbers, I want to tell people stories—profiles of the individuals who make these events happen and the impact on their lives and the community.
Luke, what are the challenges and opportunities in balancing the commercialization of sports with maintaining their core values?
Luke: It’s a balancing act. We try not to overtax local businesses with sponsorship requests, especially for events we run ourselves. Our focus is on breaking even or making a modest profit, which often gets reinvested in the community. We’re different from for-profit event companies in that regard.
We also look for ways to save local families money by bringing events here instead of having them travel out of town. That keeps spending local and supports our businesses without burdening families with extra costs.
Ultimately, we want to bring in outside dollars and create opportunities for local businesses to give back to schools and youth programs. It’s about building a sustainable ecosystem where everyone benefits.
What about the role of recreational sports and community investment in quality of life?
Luke: Recreational sports are a big part of what makes our community great. Investments in trails, rec centers, and pickleball courts all contribute to a higher quality of life. These amenities are funded, in part, by the economic impact of sports tourism—hotel/motel taxes, sales taxes, and more.
The more we can bring people into town, the more revenue we generate for local governments, which can then be reinvested in projects that benefit everyone. It’s a virtuous cycle, and we take pride in playing a role in that process.
J.R., how do you see the local professional sports scene, and what are the challenges for teams here?
J.R.: The RoughRiders have done well, and the Kernels are a staple, but it can be tough for lower-level professional teams to gain traction. There’s a lot of competition for attention—college sports, youth sports, and other events. Timing is everything, and it’s hard to compete with the draw of the Hawkeyes or a busy family schedule.
Still, these teams add to the diversity of our sports landscape, and when the right formula comes together, they can thrive.
Luke, what are some of your most memorable moments or challenges in your role?
Luke: Some of the most memorable moments are when things go wrong and you have to pull together as a team to make it work. One year at Donnybrook, we were up for about 49 hours straight—setting up after hockey finished late at night, running the tournament the next day, and just pushing through. It was exhausting, but looking back, those are the experiences that bring us together and make it all worthwhile.
Any final thoughts on the future of sports and business in the Corridor?
Luke: The opportunities are endless. As the word spreads that Iowa City and the Corridor are great places to host events, more organizations are reaching out to us. Our community’s reputation for hospitality, our facilities, and our willingness to go above and beyond set us apart.
We’re always looking to learn from other cities and scale those ideas to fit our community. With continued collaboration and investment, I think the future is bright for sports, business, and quality of life in the Corridor.
J.R.: There’s no end to the stories and opportunities in sports and business here. Whether it’s a new facility, a unique event, or the people who make it all happen, there’s always something new to discover and share with the community.
