SportsTravel Magazine

07/29/2020

The Latest on Sports and COVID-19: ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports

Notable among the Atlantic Coast Conference football changes is the league will be a one-division format. Each team’s one non-conference game will be selected by the respective school and all non-conference opponents must also meet the ACC’s medical protocol requirements.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced difficult decisions for the sports-event industry. Nearly every major sporting event has been canceled, moved or postponed. Here is a look at where things stand.…

07/29/2020

Beyond the Bubble: How Leagues are Approaching Operations

“We will be back in our home markets,” Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber said once the MLS is Back Tournament concludes. “We’re working through those protocols now, working through the schedule now, working through that start date. But without doubt, we will be playing games in our home markets sometime later in the summer — if not the end of August.”

For so many teams at all levels of sports, having a bubble burst used to mean they would not get into the NCAA Tournament, or would have their playoff chances extinguished on the final day of the r…

07/29/2020

How Live Sports Can Achieve Safe Social Distancing

Guest Column from Irv Lustig of INFORMS: As cities and communities are slowly beginning to reopen while managing through the pandemic, many of us are asking not only when will sports return but when can people return to stadiums and arenas to watch them in person?

Sports are a vital part of the fabric of America. Family time, social events and even holidays for some are centered around it. Over the past months, on top of the health and economic concerns wrou…

07/28/2020

Seminole County, Perfect Game Expand Partnership

“As we expand our brand in the region, Perfect Game is excited to expand its relationship with Seminole County. We are glad that Play Orlando North can be our PG home in Florida,” said Brad Clement, chief executive officer of Perfect Game USA.

Perfect Game, Inc., an amateur baseball scouting and event service, will be one of the anchor event organizers at the Boombah Sports Complex in Seminole County, Florida, after the county’s Bo…

07/28/2020

There have been countless stories over the years, writers showcasing every bit of their flowery prose about what college football means in the South. It is the stuff that books are written about and sometimes it gets mocked. But it really is true — for those who have lived there and experienced it, nothing matches the intensity and obsession that comes with being a college football fan.

“As an Alabamian, it is as about to close to heaven as you can get,” said Stan Adams, director of sports of Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports Commission for Visit Tuscaloosa. “Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, that’s all we talk about is college football.”

https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/college-football-towns-prepare-to-call-an-audible/

07/27/2020

Keeping athletes and fans safe when sporting events resume

"As COVID‐19 cases continue to spike this summer, sports organizations must plan for how to bring back sports while keeping athletes and spectators safe not only from coronavirus but also the usual hazards that threaten health and safety. Complete preparation will be essential for top performance and overcoming adversity in terms of health and safety," writes Robert Watson of Juvare.

In March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country, people remained hopeful that by the fall we would be able to resume enjoying the traditional college and professional sports events we l…

07/27/2020

Colorado Mountain Bike Event Alters Format

“While we all were looking forward to a huge mass start with an expo and beer garden at the finish, some of those plans will need to wait until next year,” said Micah Rice, executive director of The Pikes Peak APEX, which is being organized by Sports Strategies. “The safety of the riders, staff, volunteers, and local community needs to come first and foremost, so we are working to make changes that reduce the risk of the spread of COVID‐19 while still maintaining a rewarding experience for the riders.”

A four-day mountain biking event in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has released format changes to allow for more distancing and a COVID-19 safety plan in an effort to keep the event planned as schedul…

07/24/2020

Beyond the Bubble: How Leagues are Approaching Operations

“When we chose to go to Orlando, we weren’t looking at anything like the case rate they have now,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “Nevertheless, we built our protocol to protect us from cases around the community."

For so many teams at all levels of sports, having a bubble burst used to mean they would not get into the NCAA Tournament, or would have their playoff chances extinguished on the final day of the r…

07/24/2020

USA Team Handball Unveils New Logo, Brand

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to set our organization up for long-term success and I am excited for the bright future of our athletes and our sport," said USA Team Handball CEO Barry Siff.

The national governing body for one of the most exciting Olympic sports has unveiled a rebrand and refreshed visual identity. USA Team Handball unveiled its new logo alongside a refreshed website. …

07/24/2020

College Football Towns Prepare to Call an Audible

The unknowns of the college football season are causing hand-wringing at destinations across the country that are associated with big-time programs. Here is our deep dive into the impact that canceled games have had and may still have on college towns across the country. “Everybody associates Tuscaloosa with sports,” said Stan Adams with Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports, “and at the end of the day, our bread is buttered with football.”

Before you celebrate a touchdown with your friends and go crazy high-fiving strangers who feel like friends in that moment, you start with the tailgate party hours before kickoff with snacks, all s…

07/24/2020

National Governing Bodies Start Fundraising Movement for Athletes

The effort officially launches today, the day of what would have been Opening Ceremony in Tokyo. The initiative will last through August 9 and all funds raised will either be a direct donation to a specific sport or general support of all of the sports which will be equally divided among the participating sports organizations.

A number of national governing bodies throughout the United States Olympic and Paralympic movement will launch a joint effort branded as The Giving Games to support and sustain athletes as they tra…

07/24/2020

USA Wrestling to Host First Major Return in Iowa

“We are excited to once again welcome back our friends at USA Wrestling," said Josh Schamberger, president of Think Iowa City. "Our community has been recognized many times over as Wrestling City USA and we aim to keep it that way by helping USA Wrestling deliver another memorable event."

USA Wrestling has selected the new Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa, to host its Senior Nationals event. The event, which features the top international-style wre…

07/23/2020

Case Study: 5 Takeaways from Major League Lacrosse’s Mini Season

“We’ve been here almost a week and I think the players have been very professional,” Commissioner Sandy Brown said. “I told the players before we set up that at no time in your Major League Lacrosse - MLL career will your professionalism be tested to this degree. And these guys have completely stepped up and been model players across the board. I couldn’t be happier about it.”

Last season, Major League Lacrosse staged events over a longer period of time than typical—ending its season in October instead of Labor Day—in an effort to get lacrosse fans even more aware of the…

07/23/2020

Release The Kraken: Seattle’s NHL Team Reveals Nickname

The Seattle Kraken's colors will be “icy blue and navy blue” with red accents. The team will play its games at the newly named Climate Pledge Arena, which is undergoing a $900 million renovation and will seat 18,100 when completed.

The NHL’s expansion team in Seattle will be known as the Kraken when it starts play in the 2021–2022 season with the team’s nickname and logo released in a splashy promotional video. Th…

07/22/2020

National Lacrosse League Expands to Fort Worth

"Fort Worth is a world-class sports destination and we are excited to welcome the NLL franchise to our community and our spectacular new Dickies Arena,” said Visit Fort Worth Sports Commission Director Jason Sands.

The National Lacrosse League has awarded an expansion franchise to Fort Worth, Texas, with the league’s 14th team scheduled to start play in the 2021–22 season. It is the first time the NLL h…

07/22/2020

2021 EsportsTravel Summit to be Held in Pittsburgh

“Sports PITTSBURGH is emerging as a primary hub for the esports industry so we are thrilled to be taking the 2021 EsportsTravel Summit to the ‘City of Champions,’” said Timothy Schneider, founder of the EsportsTravel Summit and chairman of the Sports Division of Northstar Meetings Group, which publishes SportsTravel magazine and also organizes the annual TEAMS Conference & Expo. “Summit attendees will experience firsthand how a city with a storied past in sports has positioned itself on the leading edge of the future of the sports and entertainment industries.”

The 2021 EsportsTravel Summit—the only event of its kind for esports tournament and event organizers—will be held August 10–12, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Produced by Northstar Travel Group…

07/21/2020

The Latest on Sports and COVID-19: Rams Debut Season at SoFi With “Limited or No Capacity” in 2020

Previous single game ticket purchases and transferred tickets will be canceled after the Rams told stadium seat license holders that games “will be at limited or no capacity in 2020 and season tickets will not be possible for the 2020 season.”

The coronavirus outbreak has forced difficult decisions for the sports-event industry. Nearly every major sporting event has been canceled, moved or postponed. Here is a look at where things stand.…

07/21/2020

NWSL Expands Into Los Angeles With Angel City FC

“The growth trajectory of the National Women's Soccer League is incredibly exciting, but we also need to be strategic and thoughtful about how fast we expand and the communities we partner with,” Commissioner Lisa Baird said. “We’ve long sought the right partner in L.A. considering the NWSL fanbase that already exists in the region and the massive interest in women’s soccer in general. Those factors, along with an incredible ownership group make this an ideal situation and we couldn’t be more thrilled to move forward.”

The National Women’s Soccer League is going Hollywood. The league announced that a majority woman-founded group will start an expansion team in Los Angeles in 2022 with some of the biggest na…

07/21/2020

Cycling Task Force Releases Event Guidelines

Steve Brunner, the group’s co-founder and chairman, and the president of KOM Sports Marketing that has worked on many of the largest U.S.-based professional cycling events, said the goal was to assemble a wide range of participants to get every perspective of an event. In addition to medical professionals, the task force included event organizers, athletes and broadcasters, as well as a representative from USA Cycling.

A task force of stakeholders that organize professional cycling events has released guidelines to cover a range of COVID-related issues that could impact those events, a document that also offers a…

07/20/2020

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum Aims for July 30 Opening

“The Olympic and Paralympic alumni community is excited that we now have a physical home for our stories in Olympic City USA, as well as a place for our families and friends to gather and celebrate,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, 1984 Olympic champion and member of the USOPM Board. “We hope that every U.S. Olympian and Paralympian will find their way home to the Museum.”

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum, a new attraction in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, that saw its opening delayed from the coronavirus pandemic, has announced it will open to…

07/17/2020

Illinois Village to Sponsor USA Track & Field

“Even though USA Track & Field is one of the bigger ones out there, they really wanted this,” said Craig Johnson, mayor of Village of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. “They wanted this partnership. That’s impressive for us.”

USA Track & Field has won a unique competition among national governing bodies by earning a $100,000 sponsorship from the leaders of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The village northwest of Chicag…

07/17/2020

MLS Delays Expansion Plans

“We have always taken a thoughtful and strategic approach to our expansion planning and have delivered successful launches for every new club,” Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber said. “It is important for each club to take the necessary time to launch their inaugural MLS seasons the way their fans and communities deserve. With the extra year to make up for what has been a challenging 2020, these teams will be well-positioned for their debuts and for long-term success.”

Major League Soccer has announced a new timeline for expansion, postponing the start of several new teams citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the teams’ business operations and stadium de…

07/17/2020

What are hotel stays like right now for sports-related travel? In our latest episode of the SportsTravel Road Map to Recovery web series, we talk with leaders at IHG Corporate and Red Lion Hotels as well as Music City Baseball to get an on-the-ground perspective.

This episode is available now. Click here to listen: https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/episode-three-the-hotel-experience-for-sports-related-travel/

This episode was produced in partnership with EventConnect and is sponsored by the Visit Virginia Beach.

07/17/2020

U.S. Gymnastics Trials Rescheduled for 2021

New dates have been set for the USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials, National Championships and National Congress and Trade Show.

USA Gymnastics has announced new dates for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in St. Louis. After the 2020 event was postponed because of new dates for the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, the 2021 gymnast…

07/16/2020

Survey: Cities and Venues Want More Esports Events

“It’s really indicative of an industry that’s still young,” said Tyler Othen, project manager with CSL, who conducted the survey and leads the consulting firm’s #esports practice. “And people as they host these events and get more familiar with them, they start to see that potential.”

Results of a new survey of destinations and venues reveal a high interest in hosting live esports events, and a desire from those that have already hosted such events to stage even more. The “Asses…

07/15/2020

U.S. Soccer Announces Complete Return-to-Play Guidelines

“While we’ve now released our full return-to-play guidelines, it’s important that everyone first follow local and state regulations before taking any steps forward,” said U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer George Chiampas.

U.S. Soccer has released the final phase of its five-step return-to-play guidelines for coaches, players, parents, referees and administrators, spelling out how soccer teams can return to competiti…

07/15/2020

IWLCA Tabs Elite Tournaments for 2021–2024 Tournament Series

“It was a lengthy and extensive RFP process to get to where we are today,” said Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Executive Director Liz Robertshaw. “Every step along the way our search committee felt more and more comfortable with the staff at Elite Tournaments. They not only checked the boxes of what we were looking for in a management company as we go into this next phase of the IWLCA tournaments, but took it another step by listening to us and creating a vision we felt excited by.”

The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association will partner with Elite Tournaments to develop a tournament series that will include the IWLCA Capital Cup, the IWLCA Champions Cup and the …

07/14/2020

Case Study: How Top Rank Created a Boxing Bubble

“There were a lot of balls we were juggling that had to land just right to pull off what we’ve done,” Top Rank Boxing's Brad Jacobs said. “If one of them happened to not happen, the rest of the thing falls apart."

Nothing has fallen apart — and Top Rank has been able to put together a series of cards for ESPN throughout the past few weeks to expand the brands for several of its fighters.

There are few events that can bring an electricity to the venue and surrounding area than a big-time boxing event. Some of the world’s biggest fights staged in New York and Las Vegas have led to le…