Sports Business Journal Names Charleston Top Minor League Market in 2022 Rankings

By: RiverDogs Media

Sports Business Journal has named Charleston the top minor league sports market in the country in their biennial ranking released on Monday afternoon. The Charleston RiverDogs are one of three minor league franchises in the city, alongside the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays and the Charleston Battery of the USL Championship. The Charleston market had been rated in the top ten four times previously, but had never reached the top of the list.

The announcement comes less than month after Charleston was named the 5th Best Minor League Sports City in the Country by Livability.

“We have always known how special Charleston is when it comes to supporting local sports franchises, so it is fulfilling to see this community receive the appropriate recognition in a reputable publication like Sports Business Journal,” said RiverDogs President and General Manager Dave Echols. “We are elated to be part of this community alongside our friends with the Stingrays and Battery and value lasting relationships we have established in Charleston. This news comes right on the heels of a standing room only crowd of over 6,000 attending our payoff game on Sunday so this ranking was well-earned.”

This year’s rankings represented the ninth time that Sports Business Journal has produced a ranking of minor league markets. The first came in 2005 and subsequent rankings have ensued every other year until the 2021 edition was pushed back to 2022 due to the pandemic. The project included rankings of 320 professional teams in 34 leagues from 195 different markets.

Other recent top-rated markets include Grand Rapids, Des Moines, and the Quad Cities. Charleston has slowly moved up to the top of the list, having been slotted fifth in 2015, fourth in 2017 and third in 2019. Fort Wayne, IN finished second to Charleston this year.

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