Toledo named as No. 2 minor league sports market by Sports Business Journal

TOLEDO, Ohio — As the home of the world famous Mud Hens and the Walleye, Toledo is being recognized as one of the best minor league sports markets in the country.

The Glass City was named as the No. 2 minor league sports market by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal magazine, falling just four points behind Portland, Maine.

According to the Mud Hens and Walleye, the two teams averaged over 745,000 fans annually over the magazine’s measurement period in a market of 600,000 people.

Over the past two seasons, the Hens have finished in the top 20 of Minor League Baseball for average attendance with 6,313 fans per game. Meanwhile, the city’s beloved hockey team set franchise records last season for total regular season attendance and sellouts. The Mud Hens and Walleye said both teams also finished in the top 10 for merchandise sales in their leagues.

“This is an amazing achievement and great news for our region,” Mike Miller, chairman of the board for both the Mud Hens and Walleye said. “We could not be prouder of our two teams and staff that work hard to provide high-quality product for our community. We are also grateful to our many community and corporate partners who have helped elevate us to where we are today.”

Toledo Mud Hens and Walleye President and CEO, Joe Napoli added, “What a wonderful honor to be considered one of the top Minor League markets in the country. This is another example of why the Toledo region is such a great place to work, live and play,” Mud Hens and Walleye president and CEO, Joe Napoli said. “We offer top notch sports entertainment from beautiful facilities and have some of the best fans in the country. This recognition is something everyone in our community should celebrate and be proud of.”

According to the Mud Hens and Walleye, this is the seventh time Toledo has finished in the top 10 of the Sports Business Journal’s study. 

The city was awarded the No. 1 ranking in 2013 and also took the top spot for Best Minor League Sports Cities in 2022 by Livability.

“Our team is committed to making every game a fun and memorable experience,” Neil Neukam, executive vice president and general manager of the Walleye said. “Everything we do – from the music we play to the in-game entertainment to our menus – is designed with our fans in mind, which helped us achieve record attendance and sellouts last season and to sell out of Ticket Plan Memberships this season.”

“The Mud Hens are proud to be one of the leaders in minor league sports and entertainment. As we approach our 23rd year downtown, we look forward to building on our past success and unveiling new attractions and fun experiences for our fans,” Erik Ibsen, Mud Hens Executive Vice President and General Manager, said.