PROVO, Utah – A new 100-acre sports complex featuring more than 20 athletic fields, multiple playgrounds and walking trails is expected to bring nearly $40 million in economic spending to the community of Provo each year after it opens.

EPIC Sports Park will be the largest of its kind in Utah and the second largest in the country. Residents can now rightly say, “If you build it, they will come.”

“There is no one in the state of Utah or surrounding states that would be able to accommodate this many teams at this location,” said Keith Morey, economic development director for the city of Provo.

The Field of Dreams is a new sports complex that will not only provide more access for local children, but will also be a destination for players from across the country. There is hope that EPIC could become a real economic boon for Provo and this part of the state.

“When you consider that there are 1,000 room nights per tournament and $30 to $40 million in revenue for our local economy, that’s exactly the kind of economic momentum we want here in Provo,” Morey added.

Although construction is still underway, the complex is already planning to host a national football tournament.

“It’s almost like building a stadium and starting with the Super Bowl as the first game,” says Scott Henderson, chief administrative officer for the city of Provo.

Henderson attributes the big win on the field to the great ideas of local leaders, starting with the expansion of Provo Regional Airport across the street.

“When a community starts thinking bigger, I think it will become more natural and the synergies between EPIC Sports Park and the airport will be obvious,” he added.

In addition to tournaments, the park can also host regular recreational and competitive league games for soccer, rugby, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee and many other sports.

Next month’s soccer tournament will involve about 130 teams, with an estimated 3,000 participants and their families.

“Right now, two-thirds of the facility is complete, the first 15 fields,” said Doug Robins, parks and recreation director. “We’ll move on to the other two sections here to the south.”

The two additional sections will accommodate at least five more courts as well as a pickleball complex with 45 new courts.

“It actually started as a response to our limited playing fields,” Robins added. “We had 11 fields and over 335 local teams vying for space.”

The park, north of Utah Lake and west of downtown Provo, once primarily farmland, is undergoing a dramatic transformation.

“The ability to build this sports complex on 100 acres and in some ways preserve open space for our residents while allowing development is kind of the best of both worlds,” Morey said.

The grand opening of EPIC Sports Park is scheduled for September 21st.