HUNTSVILLE — Anyone who has recently spent time in Huntsville knows that the city is rapidly growing in size and population.

At the State of the City address on Tuesday, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle talked about progress in another area related to Alabama’s largest city.

“The Huntsville sports scene. Now we talk about the sports scene, and we’re talking about the sports scene that is bringing in people left and right,” said Battle. “The Huntsville sports scene is growing to a new level. A championship city requires top-caliber facilities, and that has vaulted sports tourism to a new level.”

According to recent reports, sports contribute approximately $32 million annually to Huntsville’s economy. The impact is primarily the result of tourism dollars generated by visitors attending sporting events in the city, which includes spending on hotels, restaurants, and local businesses.

“Whether you’re attending an HCFC soccer match, Auburn Tigers or Crimson Tide exhibition basketball game, watching Huntsville Havoc hockey, or even Olympic-caliber skateboarding, we’ve made it to a whole new league,” Battle said.