State Spotlight:
Louisiana

Whether you know Louisiana as the Sportsman’s Paradise or for its famous city, the Big Easy, one thing is for sure—this southern state literally has something for everyone. Sports aren’t left off the list as destinations across Louisiana are equipped with state-of-the-art complex, arenas, fields, courts, tracks, and natatoriums to host any type of competition.

State Spotlight:
Louisiana

Whether you know Louisiana as the Sportsman’s Paradise or for its famous city, the Big Easy, one thing is for sure—this southern state literally has something for everyone. Sports aren’t left off the list as destinations across Louisiana are equipped with state-of-the-art complex, arenas, fields, courts, tracks, and natatoriums to host any type of competition.

Acadia Parish

Acadia Parish is situated in the heart of Cajun Country in southern Louisiana. The parish includes the cities of Church Point, Crowley, Rayne, Estherwood, Mermentau, Morse, and Iota.

Hotel Rooms: 6+ properties
Major Facilities:
  • Bayou Bend Golf and Health Club houses an 18-hole semi-private course and a full practice facility
  • Miller Stadium is a baseball park
Contact:

Acadia Parish Tourism Commission, acadiatourism.org.

Alexandria/Pineville

Conveniently located in the heart of Louisiana, Alexandria and neighboring Pineville offer fields, fairways, diamonds, lakes, and an array of other venues for sporting events.

Hotel Rooms: 2472
Hotel tax rate: 8 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Johnny Downs Sports Complex has five full-size soccer fields and two baseball/softball facilities
  • Ben Bradford Baseball Field offers one field
  • Links on the Bayou has a 19-hole golf course
  • O’Hearn Matthews Soccer Fields consists of 10 fields
  • Ward 10 Recreation Complex hosts football, baseball, softball, and tennis
  • Alexandria Tennis Courts includes eight courts
  • Ward 9 Sportsplex accommodates baseball, softball, and soccer
Convention Center:

The Rapides Parish Coliseum can host up to 10,000 and recently underwent a $23 million renovation.

Contact:

Alexandria/Pineville Area CVB, AlexandriaPinevilleLA.com.

Ascension Parish

Ascension Parish is able to accommodate a variety of sporting events, especially with its Lamar Dixon Expo Center.

Hotel Rooms: 1300
Major Facilities:
  • Lamar Dixon Expo Center has indoor space for sports like wrestling and cheerleading
  • Cajun Industries Soccer Complex has eight soccer fields
Contact:

Ascension Parish Tourism Commission, TourAscension.com.

Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is a group and family-friendly city. Housing two major universities, the city hosts large crowds very well and is easily accessible within the Gulf States region.

Hotel Rooms: 8000
Hotel tax rate: 16 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Raising Cane’s River Center offers 8900 permanent seats, 1500 removable floor seats and 30,000 square feet of column-free floor space
  • Burbank Soccer Complex features 22 lighted fields
  • Traction Field Complex has 10 lighted baseball fields
  • Oak Villa Field Complex includes six softball and baseball fields
Contact:

Visit Baton Rouge, visitbatonrouge.com.

Breaux Bridge

Breaux Bridge is a small city in southern Louisiana. The city is known as the “Crawfish Capital of the World” and holds one of the largest festivals in the state, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival.

Hotel Rooms: 1000
Major Facilities:

The city offers six T-ball fields and eight baseball fields

Contact:

City of Breaux Bridge, breauxbridgela.net.

Cajun Coast

The Cajun Coast, known as St. Mary Parish, is about 90 minutes from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. The area features lots of waterways for fishing, powerboat racing, and more.

Hotel Rooms: 1200
Major Facilities:
  • Russo’s Landing hosts dragon boat racing
  • Atchafalaya Golf Course has an 18-hole course
  • Kemper Williams Park includes six lighted baseball/softball fields
Contact:

Cajun Coast CVB, cajuncoast.com.

Houma

Just 55 miles outside of New Orleans is Houma. It’s home to more than 2500 square miles of swamps and wetlands.

Hotel Rooms: 1708
Hotel tax rate: 13.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Bayou Country Sportsplex has five softball fields and three soccer fields that can also be configured for flag football and other sports
Convention Center:

Barry P. Bonvillain Civic Center hosts volleyball, wrestling, basketball, and more.

Contact:

Houma Area CVB, houmatravel.com.

Jefferson

Jefferson offers a diversity of sporting venues, both indoors and out, making it a frequent host of a wide range of sports.

Hotel Rooms: 8000
Hotel tax rate: ranges from 11.75 percent to 12.75 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Pontchartrain Center boasts 75,000 square feet of space
  • Alario Center has 75,000 total square feet of space and seating for 2200
Contact:

Jefferson CVB, visitjeffersonparish.com.

Kenner

Kenner is conveniently located 4.5 miles from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and within 15 minutes of New Orleans.

Hotel Rooms: 2420
Hotel tax rate: 9.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center is a 73,243-square-foot space with a 34,560-square-foot arena
  • Muss Bertolino offers a football stadium, softball stadium, and baseball field
Contact:

Visit Kenner, visitkenner.us.

Lafayette

With a central location, world-class facilities, first-class accommodations and a family-oriented atmosphere, Lafayette is an ideal place for hosting a sporting event. In fact, the city is quickly becoming known as “Title Town, Louisiana” for hosting many championship tournaments.

Hotel Rooms: 5030
Hotel tax rate: 12.45 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Youngsville Sports Recreation Complex has six soccer fields, four softball fields, and five baseball fields
  • Broussard Sports Recreation Complex includes four youth baseball fields, one full-size baseball field, and six softball/T-ball fields
  • Pelican Park includes four lighted fields
  • Cajundome is an arena with 40,000 square feet of floor space
  • Carencro Sports Complex is a multipurpose indoor facility with 20,000 square feet of turfed area
Contact:

Lafayette CVB, LafayetteTravel.com.

Lake Charles

Lake Charles is situated in southwest Louisiana. The city’s climate allows for year-round play.

Hotel Rooms: 6498
Hotel tax rate: 15.2 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Frasch Park houses eight baseball/softball fields
  • McMurry Park includes three baseball fields
  • Burton Complex has a domed arena that can be used for basketball, cheer and dance, gymnastics, martial arts, volleyball, wrestling, and rodeos
Convention Center:

Lake Charles Civic Center hosts basketball, boxing, cheer and dance, and more.

Contact:

Visit Lake Charles, visitlakecharles.org.

Livingston Parish

Just east of Baton Rouge is Livingston Parish. The area is a frequent host of state and regional baseball and softball tournaments, as well as fishing and pickleball tournaments.

Hotel Rooms: 600
Major Facilities:
  • Livingston Parks and Rec offers seven baseball/softball fields
  • Life Oak Sports Complex includes 11 baseball/softball fields
  • North Park Denham Springs features 11 baseball/softball fields, two gyms, and six tennis courts
  • Walker Parks and Recreation offers six baseball/softball fields and four soccer fields
Contact:

Livingston Parish Tourism, livingstontourism.com.

Louisiana Northshore

The Louisiana Northshore is located at the convergence of three major interstates (I-10, I-12 and I-59), less than an hour away from downtown New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Hotel Rooms: 3000
Hotel tax rate: 12.75 percent in unincorporated areas plus $2 per room, per night in Wards 8 and 9
Major Facilities:
  • Pelican Park offers 32 athletic fields for baseball, softball, flag football, soccer, and lacrosse
  • Castine Center at Pelican Park is a 46,000-square-foot multipurpose facility that can host volleyball, basketball, pickleball, wrestling, baton twirling, cheer, and more
  • Coquille Sports Complex includes four gyms, six baseball fields, five softball fields, eight adult and youth tennis courts and five fields for flag football, soccer, or lacrosse
Convention Center:

Harbor Center is a 45,000-square-foot space that can be divided into a variety of floor plans as needed.

Contact:

St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission, LouisianaNorthshore.com.

Monroe/West Monroe

Monroe-West Monroe has terrific venues and facilities for almost any sport, including a collegiate campus. In 2023, the area will welcome the new West Monroe Sports & Events, an 112,000-square-foot indoor facility currently under construction.

Hotel Rooms: 2200
Hotel tax rate: 13.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Sterlington Sports Complex has 10 baseball/softball fields
    Ouachita Sportsplex includes eight baseball/softball fields
  • University Park has four baseball/softball fields
Convention Center:

Ike Hamilton Expo Center hosts events such as BMX races and rodeos.

Contact:

Monroe/West Monroe CVB, Monroe-WestMonroe.org.

Natchitoches Parish

Natchitoches Parish offers a great history and culture, as well as a variety of sports facilities for sports such as baseball, softball, and soccer.

Hotel Rooms: 900
Major Facilities:
  • Williams Maggio Recreation Complex consists of eight baseball/softball fields, five soccer fields, and six tennis courts
  • Highland Park has two baseball/softball fields
  • Ben Johnson Foundation Basketball Courts includes two full courts and six half courts
  • Parc Natchitoches features five baseball/softball fields and four soccer fields
Convention Center:

The Natchitoches Events Center consists of nearly 40,000 square feet of space.

Contact:

Natchitoches Area CVB, natchitoches.com.

New Orleans

New Orleans is home to world-class venues and hosts a number of major annual sporting events. The walkable city also boasts a number of one-of-a-kind attractions.

Hotel Rooms: 26,000
Hotel tax rate: 16.2 percent plus $1-$3 per room, per night
Major Facilities:
  • Caesars Superdome is a 162,434-square-foot multipurpose indoor venue
  • Smoothie King Arena is a multipurpose venue that sits adjacent to the Caesars Superdome
  • Tad Gormley Stadium hosts football, soccer, and track
  • Pan American Stadium seats 5000 and hosts soccer and high school football
Convention Center:

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is one of the largest and most technologically advanced convention centers in the country with more than 1.1 million square feet of contiguous space.

Contact:

New Orleans & Company, neworleans.com.

Ruston

Located in north Louisiana, Ruston is known for its college-town atmosphere and thriving downtown district. The city is home to a variety of attractions and youth and collegiate sporting facilities.

Hotel Rooms: 7500
Hotel tax rate: 14.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Ruston Sports Complex offers facilities for baseball, softball, tennis, football, and soccer
  • Lincoln Parish Park houses a 10-mile mountain bike trail
  • Joe Aillet Stadium is a football facility with a capacity of 28,019
  • C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park is a new facility on the Louisiana Tech campus and has a seating capacity of 2000
Contact:

Experience Ruston, experienceruston.com.

Shreveport

Shreveport has plenty of experience hosting diverse championships and other major sporting events, such as the USA Volleyball FIVB Olympic Qualifier Tournament, Bass Masters Classic, and more.

Hotel Rooms: 10,000
Major Facilities:
  • Cargill is a multipurpose complex with 10 softball fields and 13 soccer fields
  • Brookshire Grocery Arena offers 270,000 square feet of space
  • Lee Hedges is an 8500-seat football stadium that also hosts lacrosse and track and field
Convention Center:

Shreveport Convention Center boasts 350,000 square feet of space with 95,000 square feet of column-free space.

Contact:

Shreveport-Bossier CTB, shreveport-bossier.org.

St. Landry

St. Landry Parish offers a wide range of activities to enjoy post-event, including outdoor attractions, museums, and live music.

Hotel Rooms: 849
Hotel tax rate: ranges from 14 percent to 18.2 percent depending on city
Major Facilities:
  • Eunice Rec Complex boasts 10 baseball and softball fields
  • Yambilee Ag Arena is a 16,728-squrae foot covered arena
  • South City Park has a football stadium
Contact:

St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission, CajunTravel.com.

Tangipahoa Parish

Tangipahoa is located at the intersection of two interstates and is home to multiple cities, including Kentwood and Hammond. The cities offer numerous fields, gyms, arenas, and multi-purpose buildings, many of which are within a 20-mile radius.

Hotel Rooms: 1426
Major Facilities:
  • Chappapeela Park has 12 Celebration Bermuda turf fields, 21 soccer fields, two regulation football fields and a gym with two basketball/volleyball courts
  • Hammond America Sportsplex includes three artificial turf baseball/softball fields
  • North Oak Park features four softball fields
  • Pennington Student Activity Center is an 87,000-square-foot venue that houses a four-court gym
Convention Center:

The Southeastern Louisiana University Center is a 15,000-square-foot arena with 7561 seats. The facility hosts numerous events every year, including basketball and cheerleading.

Contact:

Tangipahoa Parish CVB, tangitourism.com.

West Baton Rouge

West Baton Rouge offers a variety of hotels conveniently located off I-10 and in close proximity to the area parks and ball fields.

Hotel Rooms: 1350
Major Facilities:
  • Louis Mouch, Jr. Multi-Purpose Facility has two large, covered areas for equestrian events
  • Tennis Court Complex is a multi-court facility
Contact:

West Baton Rouge CVB, westbatonrouge.net.