Sports : CLARKONOMICS: $52.3 million Added to the State Economy

CSI Releases New Report Examining the Economic Impact of Caitlin Clark's Extraordinary Career

DES MOINES - Today, Common Sense Institute (CSI) Iowa released Clarkonomics, a detailed analysis of Caitlin Clark's economic impact on the Iowa economy.

Authored by Ben Murrey, CSI Director of Policy & Research, the study provides a data-driven approach to quantifying the impact of Iowa women's basketball and Caitlin Clark's extraordinary college career on the economy of the state of Iowa.

"As my kids say, Caitlin Clark is the GOAT and CSI's study proves it," said CSI Board Member Amber Mason Lusson. "Her time at Iowa has been more than an inspiration to young athletes. She has generated a tremendous impact on our economy, exponentially enhanced women's sports and done more to market the university and the state than anyone in recent memory."

Common Sense Institute is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of the economy. CSI is at the forefront of important discussions concerning the future of free enterprise and aims to have an impact on the issues that matter most. CSI's mission is to examine the fiscal impacts of policies, initiatives, and proposed laws so that voters are educated and informed on issues impacting their lives.


The release coincides with the kick off to 'March Madness,' the annual NCAA tournament. Clark and the Hawkeyes are scheduled to play their first game on Saturday against the winner of the West Virginia vs. Princeton matchup.

"Caitlin Clark is that once-in-a-generation athlete who captures the hearts and minds of people across the nation and we have the facts to prove it," said Doug Neumann, Executive Director of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. "She put Iowa in the national spotlight and showcased our state to the world. The economic impact she has driven will pay dividends for Iowa's future and inspire young athletes for decades to come."

"We know Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon on the court, but CSI has worked hard to quantify her star power off the court. Her impact on Iowa's economy has been significant in generating an estimated $82.5 million in increased community and state consumer spending," said Josh Schamberger, President, Think Iowa City & Iowa City Area Sports Commission.

Key findings from the study include:

* Soaring attendance at Iowa women's basketball games during Caitlin Clark's career is estimated to have contributed between $14.4 and $52.3 million to Iowa's economy. That is enough to-
- Purchase between 1,418 and 5,176 acres of Iowa cropland.
- Pay tuition for between 1,306 and 4,767 students at the University of Iowa this year.
- Cover the costs of the University of Iowa's planned hospital and clinic emergency department expansion, or the recently opened University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art.
- Buy every Iowan a ticket to the state fair or buy every fairgoer 1 to 4 funnel cakes.
* Attendance at all Hawkeye women's basketball games was about 2.8 times greater her senior year than before she joined the squad, growing from about 125,000 to 350,000 attendees.
* For Hawkeye women's basketball Big Ten regular season home games, out-of-state attendance grew from just over 10% of all attendees before Clark to nearly 15% of all attendees during her senior year-a nominal growth of over 38,000 out-of-state fans.
* Over the last three seasons, the increase in attendance attributable to the "Caitlin Clark effect" generated an estimated $82.5 million in increased consumer spending. For comparison, that's nearly double the state revenue collected from the 2021 Iowa State Fair.

For further information on the Common Sense Institute and its research in Iowa, please visit www.commonsenseinstituteia.org