HBCU Tournament Boosts Northport Economy

0:00It's April 28th. This is Birmingham News today, powered by AI. An HBCU baseball and softball tournament is boosting Northport, Alabama this week, with an expected $1 million flowing into the Tuscaloosa Northport economy. It started Saturday and runs straight through Tuesday night at River Run Park. The HBCU Athletic Conference, the nation's largest by member schools, just committed to a three-year run here, calling the park one of the top spots. In the region, fans are packing the stands, hospitality is on point, and the competition is fierce, according to the conference commissioner. Local Stilman College gets to play at home, while 15 teams from across the southeast fill up hotels and hit the restaurants. That travel and spending from out of towners is driving the big economic lift, with Visit Tuscaloosa leading the charge on event planning. Championship games hit Tuesday night, so Stilman could claim those titles right in their backyard, keeping the momentum rolling for years to come.