Sports events could get a clearer economic scorecard

Ohio would create a Sports Council inside the Department of Development, giving the state a formal place to count the money that follows games, tournaments and other sporting events. The bill says the council’s job is to assess their economic impact and recommend policies that could expand the sporting-event economy.

The measure uses the same meaning of "sport" already found in the Department of Development chapter of the Revised Code. In plain terms, it is not trying to invent a new category so much as build a statehouse home for a business many cities already try to attract.

Who would fill the seats

The council would have 14 members. The lineup includes two senators, two representatives, three people representing convention and visitors’ bureaus, three representing local sports commissions, and four members from sports facilities or sports-governance groups.

Members would serve without pay, though they could be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses. The Department of Development would provide office space and meeting rooms, and the council would need at least nine votes to act.