Coastal Mississippi offers 62 miles of scenic shoreline, abundant seafood and robust indoor and outdoor sports opportunities that range from baseball, softball and pickleball to cornhole, golf and beyond.
“We have beaches, we have nature trails, we have wildlife and we have family activities,” says Chad Cutchall, sports and sales development manager for Coastal Mississippi, the regional convention and visitors bureau. “Fun for everybody.”
Perched on the Mississippi Sound, the Coastal Mississippi region is comprised of three counties (Hancock, Harrison and Jackson) and 12 major cities. In recent years, the destination’s sports tourism mission has evolved from not only hosting regional youth tournaments for baseball, soccer and flag football teams within about a three-hour radius but also to attracting major softball showcases, collegiate golf tournaments and equestrian events.
“We want to get the Coast out in front of more people,” says Cutchall, who arrived at Coastal Mississippi in June 2024. “That is my goal, to bring in bigger names with more influence. We’re not just for vacations. We have high-level sports here, as well.”
Coastal Mississippi has partnered with tournament organizers DC Elite Softball to develop two showcases per year that attract 40 to 80 coaches from community college teams on up to small Division I teams. Games are played at multiple facilities, including the Gulfport Sportsplex, renowned for hosting some of the largest local, state, regional and national tournaments in the Southeast.
The 250-acre complex features nine terraced baseball/softball fields with hybrid sand-based synthetic turf, crimson stone infields and scoring towers. The facility also offers four international-sized soccer fields and a control center with concessions, restrooms, a pavilion and a storage room.
Other DC Elite showcase games are held at the recently renovated A.J. Holloway Sports Complex in Biloxi (four turf softball fields and five turf baseball fields, plus one natural grass adult baseball field, eight tennis courts and three soccer fields on 68 acres) and the Ocean Springs Sports Complex (four softball fields, five baseball fields, four soccer fields and two football fields).
Additionally, the region has hosted the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational for the past three years at The Fallen Oak, “one of the premier courses in our destination,” Cutchall says. Located near Biloxi, the luxury 18-hole, par-72 resort course attracts about 200 tournament participants on teams from throughout the country.
The Coastal Mississippi team also is working to bring major soccer tournaments to the area that would attract players from around the country.
Meanwhile, the region already is building a reputation for hosting high-profile pickleball and cornhole tournaments.
The Picklr (which opened in Biloxi in December 2024 with 12 indoor pickleball courts) recently hosted its first major event, the Southern Pickleball Association’s Mississippi State Championships, with about 200 players. The association previously held smaller outdoor pickleball tournaments at Popp’s Ferry Recreational Area in Biloxi, which boasts 12 dedicated pickleball courts. Cutchall envisions future opportunities for both facilities to partner on hosting large pickleball tournaments.
In February, Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi hosted the American Cornhole League Open with about 300 national players, and another cornhole event is planned for later this year at Biloxi’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
“The whole cornhole atmosphere, let’s be honest, is barbecue dads, right?” Cutchall says. “That’s what cornhole is, and we have the perfect backyard barbecue feel. Everyone is super-welcoming and friendly, but there’s also a sense of competitiveness.”
The coliseum and convention center, with its 11,500 seating capacity and 400,000 square feet of event space, also hosts volleyball tournaments and cheer/dance competitions.
According to Cutchall, one of the few remaining sports tourism opportunity gaps in the region is the lack of a facility with enough indoor courts to host basketball tournaments, which is an area Coastal Mississippi is actively working to address.
“We do have basketball courts, but they’re primarily located at high schools,” says Cutchall. “Hosting large tournaments in those spaces is challenging because the venues are so spread out. That’s something we’re actively working to change.”
Coastal Mississippi is working with Moss Point city officials and other stakeholders to develop an indoor multi-purpose sports facility on an already designated site that potentially would house a minimum of three basketball courts (convertible to a maximum of three volleyball courts), an elevated running track, lockers rooms and other amenities for both community members and sports tournaments participants. Additionally, it would be designated as a storm shelter, given the potential for hurricane and tornado activity in the region.
Devin Booker, an All-Star guard for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, went to high school in Moss Point — a fact, Cutchall says, that provides “a natural marketing opportunity” for the facility.
And while he adds that such a facility might not be a reality for another five years or so, that gives the Coastal Mississippi region more time to establish itself as a national sports tourism destination via its other offerings, including sports still gaining a foothold around the country. Cutchall is actively pursuing beach soccer opportunities, given the fact that most Coastal Mississippi cities boast beachfront land.
“It’s a newer thing, way smaller than traditional soccer, three-on-three or four-on four,” he says, citing studies that indicate traditional soccer players who also compete in beach soccer improve strength, fitness and running performance while also experiencing fewer injuries by playing on sand.
Not Just for Sports
Coastal Mississippi’s location along the Gulf makes it an ideal vacation destination, especially considering that drive times from five major cities (New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, Mobile and Birmingham) are less than six hours.
“It is easy to become immersed in all that natural beauty in our area,” Cutchall says. “We have kayak tours through our blue ways, and we have charter fishing where your family can go out with a captain on a boat, who will help you catch fresh fish, and in some cases come back and clean it right in front of you. Then y’all can go upstairs to a seafood restaurant, and chefs will cook it for you. It’s pretty awesome.”
Speaking of seafood, visitors will find plenty of options (including gulf-to-table selections) at a range of casual, upscale and beachfront restaurants.
Additionally, the Biloxi Shuckers, a Minor League Baseball team that is the Class AA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, play at Keesler Federal Park from April through September. And the Mississippi Sea Wolves compete in the independent Federal Prospects Hockey League and play at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum between October and April.
What’s more, the region is home to festivals nearly every weekend throughout much of the year, according to Cutchall. They include Pirate Day in the Bay in Bay St. Louis, the Gulf Coast Oyster Cook-off & Festival in Biloxi, the Kite Festival in Biloxi and the Spring Arts Festival in Ocean Springs, just to name a few.
As Cutchall says: “It’s a beautiful and fun area, and we love people to see it how we see it.” SDM
Related Organizations
About the Author
There are no comments
Please login to post comments