Recent News

October 28, 2011

SPORTS COUNCIL BOARD APPROVES INTENT TO BID FOR 2015 STATE GAMES OF AMERICA

The 2015 Cornhusker State Games may get a serious boost in participation if Lincoln is chosen as the site for the 2015 State Games of America.  The Nebraska Sports Council Board of Directors, at its annual meeting Thursday afternoon, approved a staff recommendation to move forward in the bid process to host the biennial national multi-sport festival.

In letters to the NSC Board, The City of Lincoln and the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce have already endorsed the recommendation, as has the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau, which will assist the Council staff on the bid.

Executive Director Dave Mlnarik announced the Board’s decision to key volunteers and guests later Thursday at the NSC’s Awards Banquet at the Holiday Inn Southwest in Lincoln.  The Banquet featured former Husker and current world champion wrestler Jordan Burroughs as its keynote speaker.

If chosen as the host city, Lincoln could expect an additional 10,000 visitors, an estimated 3,500 of them being medalists from other state games events around the nation from 2013 and 2014.  The medalists would join the expected 11,000 Nebraskans who participate annually.

“The economic benefit would be significant, probably at least triple our usual $5 million impact,” Mlnarik said, “it would also be a great opportunity, like the Special Olympics in 2010, to showcase our athletes, volunteers, sponsors and the community in general.”

More information about the bid will be released when the request-for-proposals comes out in early 2012.  The bid will likely be due some time in June of next year.

The 2011 State Games of America were held in San Diego in August, and the 2013 event will take place in Hershey-Harrisburg, PA.  The State Games of America is the property of the National Congress of State Games, a member organization serving 30 member-states which host Olympic-style sports festivals for their citizens.