The city purchased Final Four tickets for all 10 council members plus Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Credit: Instagram / alamodomesa

Even though the NCAA Men’s Final Four brought tens of thousands of college hoops fans to town, that wasn’t enough to boost the local economy as consumer confidence continues to plunge.

Consumer spending in San Antonio declined 3.4% this April 2-8, compared to the comparable week of 2024, according to data from financial services company Fiserv. Consumer spending includes retail, restaurants, grocery, gas, hotels, leisure and travel — y’know, the kind of things basketball fans tend to spend on during a Final Four.

Even so, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the SA economy.

During championship weekend, restaurant sales were up 9.5%, while leisure sales were up 12.8%. Although city officials estimate more than 100,000 people traveled here for the festivities, hotel sales were only up 1.8%.

The time frame Fiserv analyzed also included the Valero Texas Open at San Antonio’s TPC golf club, which attracted as many as 30,000 people this year.

Despite better-than-normal sales and a 6.7% increase in overall small business activity, basketball and golf weren’t enough to boost the local economy.

Indeed, consumer spending in San Antonio was largely dragged down by gas sales, which were down 8.4% from a year ago, and grocery sales, which declined 6.8% for that period, according to Fiserv. It also didn’t help that retail sales also declined 2.2% during that time.

On the other hand, Tampa, which hosted the Women’s Final Four tournament, experienced a 3.4% bump in consumer spending between April 2-8.

Fiserv contributed San Antonio’s drop in consumer spending to higher Final Four ticket prices, which were up 14.3% compared to last year. That left visitors with less money to spend elsewhere in the city, according to the company’s analysts.

The worrisome economic data also comes as consumer spending and financial markets continue to plunge due to the uneasiness inspired by Trump’s trade war and unpredictable economic moves.

“There has never been so much experimentation on tariffs in the past nor this large of scope,” Georgia State University business school professor Denish Shah told Bloomberg on Friday. “Consequently, consumers are panicking.”

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Best of San Antonio Nominations are Now Live

Consumer spending in San Antonio declined 3.4% during Final Four, Valero Texas Open

Michael Karlis

The price tag to buy San Antonio Spur Tony Parker’s mansion has dropped by nearly half

This San Antonio century home for sale was once lifted on jacks to add a new first floor

San Antonio women-owned restaurants and bars everyone should try

SoCal punk pioneers the Descendents brought infectious energy to San Antonio

Related Stories