Greenville will host the 2017 inaugural State Games South Carolina, slated to be the largest multi-sport, Olympic-style event in the state. The late spring competition is expected to bring 3,000 athletes and $1 million in revenue to the Upstate.
The sports festival will kick off on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, with a track and field competition. On June 10 and 11, athletes will compete in archery, baseball, cycling, lacrosse, swimming and other events.
The Greenville Sports Council, a nonprofit sporting event company, will oversee the event.
“We are really excited to bring this annual event to Greenville,” said Stan Healy, president of the Greenville Sports Council. “Reaction and support from local coaches and sports organizations has been fantastic.”
The Greenville Sports Council previously managed the 2014 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships and the 2015 and 2016 Bikeville Classic, which featured the USA Cycling Professional Team Time Trial and Criterium National Championships.
State Games South Carolina will operate as a member of the National Congress of State Games (NCSG). NCSG is a membership organization comprised of 32 summer state games and 10 winter state games organizations and a member of the United States Olympic Committee’s multi-sport organizational council. The mission of the NCSG is to support state games organizations in the promotion of health, fitness and character building through Olympic-style competitions and physical activities.
Medal winners from the state games are eligible to compete against 31 other member states’ winners in the biennial State Games of America, held since 1999. The 2017 State Games of America will be held in Grand Rapids, Mich.
