ST. LOUIS - Hundreds of first-time visitors say St. Louis exceeded expectations while hosting the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four earlier this spring, according to a new study.

As part of the study, presented Wednesday by the St. Louis Sports Commission, more than 700 fans who attended the college hockey tournament were surveyed. Of those visiting St. Louis for the first time, 74% said the city exceeded their expectations as a host.

While surveyed, first-time visitors were also asked to provide one word to describe their impression of St. Louis, both before and after their visit.

Before their visits, four of the 16 most-used words carried negative connotations such as "dirty" (2nd), "dangerous" (8th), "boring" (9th) and "unsafe" (14th).

After their visits, only one such phrase "dirty" (13th) appeared in the Top 16 most-used words. The top five post-visit responses included words of positive connotations like "fun," "clean," "great," "nice" and "beautiful."

“The data collected tells a great story for St. Louis and we’ll be able to highlight the visitor feedback in our future bids to reinforce how well our region performs as a major sports event destination,” said St. Louis Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber.

“The findings also underscore how valuable these events are beyond simply economic impact.  They bring people to St. Louis who may not be familiar with our city or may have a certain image in mind. And then they have a fabulous experience that changes their perceptions and causes them to return home with an excellent story to tell. It shows the important role sports can play in shaping St. Louis’ narrative.”

The NCAA Frozen Four, an annual college hockey tournament that determines the national champion, returned to Enterprise Center this spring for just the second time ever and the first time since 2007.

The survey also asked out-of-town visitors which St. Louis attractions they visited while in town for the Frozen Four. The top five included the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, food attractions (like BBQ and The Hill), and the Saint Louis Zoo.

Furthermore, the St. Louis Sports Commission reported that the 2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four generated $20.5 million in economic activity across the St. Louis region, including $600,000 in sales tax revenue for the City of St. Louis.

The research was conducted by Sportsimpacts, a sports consulting firm led by by Dr. Patrick Rishe, who serves as Director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University.

NOTE: Video is from FOX 2's Sports Final interview with St. Louis Sports Commission's President Marc Schreiber in April 2025.