Casper Council commits to continued support for hosting state tournaments

CASPER, Wyo. — On Tuesday, the Casper City Council agreed to continue its financial support of Compete Casper, formerly known as Proud to Host the Best, into the coming years.

The city will contribute $50,000 to the area nonprofit corporation annually for the next four years, which is steady with what it contributed over the past four years. Compete Casper is required to bid on state tournaments every four years, and the next round of bidding with the Wyoming High School Activities Association is fast approaching, in early 2025.

Currently, Casper hosts marching band, volleyball, spirit, wrestling, basketball, art symposium and track and field state tournaments. Per Visit Casper, these competitions net the Natrona County community roughly $24 million annually in overall economic impact.

Compete Casper will be looking to add another event in this year’s bid, aiming to also host the state tennis tournament. The tennis tournament was hosted by Gillette in 2024.

The local tourism authority reports that the events require an annual budget of $277,000 to host.