• Home to three minor pro sports teams, and four colleges with NCAA Division I, II and III programs and facilities, Erie has the venues and experience to host a wide range of sporting events. Erie is centrally located between three major cities, and is located on Pennsylvania’s only shore with direct access to Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay.
• The Erie Sports Commission, the National Sports Commission of the Year in 2014 and 2016, offers a variety of support services that set our city apart and make hosting an event in Erie easy.

Key Venues:

Presque Isle State Park:

• Presque Isle State Park is a 3,200-acre forested peninsula that juts into Lake Erie.
• The park boasts seven miles of sandy beaches, four boat launch areas, eight beach volleyball courts, and 25 miles of recreational trails (11 for hiking and 14 multipurpose).
• The park has hosted competitive bicycle, running, beach volleyball, and swimming events and can easily accommodate thousands of visitors or spectators.
• Lake Erie is consistently named one of the top bass lakes in the country, and because of the way that the park forms and protects Presque Isle Bay, the area offers a unique atmosphere for competitive fishing events.

Bayfront Convention Center:

• Built in 2007 on Erie’s waterfront, the Bayfront Convention Center features more than 100,000 total square feet of space and spectacular floor-to-ceiling views of Presque Isle Bay.
• The Great Hall features more than 28,000 square feet of space and a ceiling height of 23 feet.
• The Convention Center has hosted events such as boxing matches, bodybuilding competitions, gymnastics and cheerleading competitions, billiards, and even regional dog shows.
• The facility has over 470 free parking spaces and is connected to two hotels – the 200-room Sheraton Erie Bayfront and the 192-room Courtyard Erie Bayfront, which opened in June 2016.

Erie Insurance Arena:

• The Erie Insurance Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the downtown area of Erie, Pennsylvania.
• The arena gives Erie the ability to host a wide range of sports events such as professional ice hockey, professional basketball, and indoor football.
• The arena is home to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.
• The facility comes equipped with eight team locker rooms and can seat 6,700 people for ice hockey and 6,900 people for basketball.
• A recent $47 million restoration and expansion project was completed to include additional seating and restrooms and enlarged concourse areas.
• The arena has successfully hosted events such as the 2021 NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship and Women’s Frozen Four, 2021 CHA Tournament, 2018 College Hockey Inc. Ice Breaker Tournament, Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Championships and 2014 NCAA Women’s Division II Basketball Elite Eight.