By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – A local sports business expert says St. Louis is joining Indianapolis and San Antonio as emerging capitals for amateur sports.
This weekend's Final Four is one of many NCAA championships in St. Louis.
It's not even the only championship in the City this month; wrestling championships were here in mid-March.
Hockey's Frozen Four and the Women's basketball Final Four are slated for the next few years.
Webster University's Patrick Rishe says Indy, San Antonio, and St. Louis are all mid-sized. He adds that's a plus with fans.
"A lot of these fans are from rural America, and you throw these people into Chicago or New York City, they're going to feel lost," Rishe says. "But if you put them somewhere where they feel at ease, they feel comfortable or manageable, I think that's huge."
Bidding for the 2012 Men's Final Four begins next year.