The NAIA, Explore Asheville and Airstream Ventures have announced Asheville, North Carolina, as the host city for the NAIA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in 2026 and 2027.

“We are honored to welcome the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships to our community in 2026 and 2027,” said Vic Isley, president and chief executive officer of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “Hosting this prestigious event underscores Asheville’s standing as a leading sports destination in the Southeast while also fueling our local creative economy and supporting the recovery of small businesses following Hurricane Helene.”

The three‑day event brings together approximately 1,300 athletes representing men’s and women’s teams, along with their families and fans. The championships will take place at UNC Asheville’s recently renovated Karl Straus Track, with expansions made possible in part by a $1.5 million Tourism Product Development Fund investment through the tourism development authority.

“The NAIA is excited to partner with Airstream Ventures and Explore Asheville to provide a first–class experience to the student–athletes competing for outdoor track and field national championships,” said Austin Bennett, NAIA vice president for championships. “The Karl Straus Track and the amenities the area brings to the table will allow the NAIA to provide an event that will make lasting memories for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”

For its first year in Asheville, the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will take place May 20–22, 2026. In 2027, the event is set for May 26–28.

“Hosting the NAIA championships at Karl Straus Track is a tremendous honor and opportunity,” said Janet Cone, athletic director at UNC Asheville. “Our facilities are designed to support elite level competition, and we are committed to providing an exceptional experience for athletes, coaches and spectators. We’re proud to bring national attention to Asheville and UNC Asheville and thankful for this partnership with Airstream Ventures, Explore Asheville and the NAIA.”

KemperSports has announced a multi–year partnership with Perfect Game to bring youth baseball events to Fields at Station 63 in Mansfield, Texas.

Through a partnership between the city of Mansfield and KemperSports, Fields at Station 63 has undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation with upgraded playing fields. The park now features eight turf baseball diamonds, a renovated central plaza, improved concessions and family spaces.

The venue will re-open on September 6. Beginning in the fall, Perfect Game will host 35 weekends per year of youth baseball tournaments at the newly renovated venue.

“This isn’t just another tournament series,” said Steve Goris, senior vice president of KemperSports Venues. “We’re combining Perfect Game’s industry-leading tournament platform with KemperSports’ expertise in hospitality, facility management and event operations. Together, we’re creating an environment that delivers a best-in-class experience for players, families, and fans — from the moment they arrive at the park to the last out of the weekend.”

The partnership will combine Perfect Game’s network of players, coaches, scouts and media with KemperSports’ service, facility expertise and community engagement.

“We are excited for the future of Perfect Game in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro,” said Taylor McCollough, vice president, operations at Perfect Game. “We look forward to working with KemperSports to provide quality competition and the first-class experience that our teams expect at Perfect Game events now at Fields at Station 63.”

The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games has proposed the relocation of diving to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena and asked for approval from the Los Angeles City Council on the decision.

The venue plan for LA28 had diving being held at the 1932 Pool in the Exposition Park Zone. LA28 says the potential move would achieve up to $17.6 million in combined savings and revenue growth. Any changes to the venue proposal for LA28 must be approved by the city.

LA28 said in its proposal to the City Council that the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center offers an existing pool that meets Olympic diving standards and requires fewer improvements to host diving in 2028.

It also said in the proposal that World Aquatics told organizers that the Exposition Park outdoor pool did not meet Olympic diving standards. The pool in Exposition Park, located next to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, was constructed for the 1932 Games and hosted diving, swimming, water polo and the swim event for the modern pentathlon.

LA28 said in its proposal to City Council that the venue “would require a complete reconstruction in order to meet Olympic standards. Futhermore, this construction cannot occur simultaneously with the LA Memorial Coliseum track construction projects due to limited space within the surrounding footprint.”

“This presents a significant opportunity to deliver successful marquee events, with greater budget certainty, while also ensuring an exceptional competition venue for our diving athletes, with their safety remaining our top priority,” said Reynold Hoover, LA28 chief executive officer. “The decision to stage diving at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center is beneficial on all fronts and we’re grateful to our host city and venue city partners for their unwavering support and collaboration as we finalize the 2028 Games plan.”

Allegiant Air and Notre Dame Global Partnerships, the official multimedia rights holder for the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department, have announced a multi–year agreement designating Allegiant “The Official Airline Partner of Notre Dame Athletics.”

The partnership launches in conjunction with the 2025 fall sports season. Allegiant serves eight routes from South Bend International Airport, including the launch of nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, beginning this week ahead of Notre Dame football’s game at the University of Miami on August 31.

“With a shared commitment to excellence, it is a natural fit for Allegiant to align our brand with Notre Dame athletics,” said Drew Wells, Allegiant Airlines chief commercial officer. “We have been flying Notre Dame students and alumni for two decades, and we know sports have the universal power to unite people with a common goal of celebrating their favorite teams. We’re excited to expand our presence in the South Bend community and welcome the Fighting Irish on board.”

Allegiant started operations at South Bend International Airport in 2005 and this agreement will grow the airline’s presence and nonstop travel options at SBN. Sweepstakes will be specially designed to provide fans with premium game day hospitality.

The partnership will include branded social and digital content and exclusive fan engagement initiatives. Notre Dame athletics will use Allegiant’s services not only to offer fans, students and alumni travel options, but also to transport many of the university’s athletic teams in the coming years.

“We’re pleased to welcome Allegiant’s partnership and mutual commitment to investing in the South Bend community,” said Jim Fraleigh, Notre Dame deputy athletics director, corporate relations. “We look forward to connecting generations of Fighting Irish across the country with affordable, reliable travel and unforgettable game day experiences.”

The NFL and immersive technology company Cosm have announced an extension of their partnership that will see Cosm continue to produce and distribute live games in shared reality at their venues throughout the 2025 season and beyond.

This season, Cosm will again feature Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football, as well as an offering of games on CBS and FOX, at its venues in Los Angeles and Dallas. For the second consecutive year, Cosm will also showcase NFL postseason games, including Super Bowl LX.

“This multi-year partnership with the NFL and its broadcast partners underscores our shared commitment to fans,” said Jeb Terry, Cosm president and chief executive officer. “With multiple high-resolution immersive camera angles from the sideline to the end zone, integrated broadcaster commentary and live TV feeds, NFL gamedays at Cosm offer a unique shared reality experience where fans can celebrate watching NFL football together.”

NFL games debuted at Cosm during the 2024 NFL season on Cosm’s 87-foot-diameter, 12K+ LED domes. Cosm opened its first venue in Los Angeles at Hollywood Park, adjacent to SoFi Stadium, in July 2024, and second venue in Dallas at The Colony’s Grandscape in August 2024. The company will open its third venue in Atlanta’s Centennial Yards in early 2026, as well as its fourth venue in  Detroit later in the year. Cosm recently announced its fifth venue will anchor Cleveland’s Rock Block development, expected to open in 2027.

Cosm will kick off its slate of NFL games on September 4 with the 2025 NFL Kickoff Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, along with Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. The Week 2 matchup between the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers on September 11 will be the first Thursday Night Football game this season available in the Dome at Cosm.

USA Flag Football has announced a strategic partnership with Global Sports Experiences, a provider of international group travel and sports hospitality, to support the growing number of national and international teams participating in the 2026 Flag Football World Championships in Tampa, Florida.

“International interest in our events has never been higher,” said Travis Burnett, chief executive officer of USA Flag. “We’re thrilled to partner with Global Sports Experiences, whose expertise in international group coordination will allow us to focus on delivering a world-class competition while ensuring that our global guests are fully supported from arrival to departure.”

The 2026 championships will be held January 14–18 at the Tournament Sportsplex of Tampa Bay, expecting over 1,200 teams from multiple countries. Global Sports Experiences will provide customized group travel packages, including lodging, meals, cultural excursions, ground transportation and on-site support during the event. The initiative is designed not only to ease logistical planning for teams and federations.

“We’re honored to support USA Flag Football and its thousands of participants for what promises to be a milestone global event,” said Megan Ditchman, business development sr. manager of Global Sports Experiences. “Our goal is to take the stress out of international travel planning and allow teams to focus on what they came to do — compete at the highest level and enjoy the experience.”

The Snohomish County Sports Commission has announced the promotion of Nathan Caferro to sports events manager.

Caferro began working for the Snohomish County Sports Commission as the sports event coordinator in June 2022. In this new role, his responsibilities will include leading the event services program, assisting with annual sporting events and starting an equipment donation program.

Caferro’s efforts have helped several sporting events become award winners. His work with the 2024 USA Softball Class B Western Nationals and the Snohomish United Bigfoot Soccer Tournament both led to awards for the events, and he has worked with the Snohomish Youth Soccer Club on their youth soccer tournament for the last three years.

“Nathan’s leadership and commitment to providing excellent event services has helped us to expand our work with the local sports organizations and build better partnerships within the communities,” said Tammy Dunn, Snohomish County Sports Commission executive director. “Hosting the Seattle Handball Cup for the first time in March 2025 is one example of Nathan’s ability to elevate sporting events Snohomish County hosts.”

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association has announced the promotion of Barbara Jean Bertges from chief operating officer to chief executive officer to the organization as it expands opportunities, enhances student-athlete experiences and strengthens its national footprint.

Bertjes has held the position of chief operating officer for the past four years and before that was the USCAA’s director of championships and development for two years. She has been instrumental in elevating the quality and consistency of the association’s championship programs and services.

“We are so incredibly proud to have BJ Bertges serving as the CEO of the USCAA,” said Jennifer Laney, president of the USCAA Board of Directors. “She brings a unique and deeply valuable perspective to this role. She has lived the experience of our member institutions, both as a coach and as an administrator, and she brings that insight into every decision she makes. Her leadership is grounded by putting both the student-athletes and our member institutions at the forefront of her decision making.”

Prior to joining the USCAA national office, Bertges served at Penn State Beaver where she held roles in both athletic administration and coaching. In her current role, that experience allows her to stay connected to the daily realities of student-athletes, coaches and campus leaders.

“The USCAA has been a constant throughout my career, even before joining the staff in the national office,” said Bertges. “I am honored to be promoted to CEO of the Association and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by our Board of Directors and proud to continue working alongside such a dedicated team.”

The National Junior College Athletic Association has announced a partnership renewal with the PGA of America to grow the game through sharing professional and career opportunities with two-year collegiate golfers.

The PGA of America will collaborate with NJCAA golf programs to present student-athletes with engagement in the game of golf beyond their collegiate experience, including career prospects within the sport.

NJCAA will continue to connect the PGA with the two-year collegiate golf community by giving access to PGA career consultants, recruiters and leaders to participate and speak at NJCAA Golf Championships.

“As golf continues to surge in popularity, interest in pursuing careers within the $102 billion golf industry has also increased,” said PGA of America President Don Rea Jr. “We are excited to continue our collaboration with the NJCAA and connect student-athletes with PGA of America members for mentorship, leadership and career opportunities.”

The PGA of America consists of more than 30,000 golf professionals around the country who serve as the recognized teachers and leaders of the game and promote its growth.

“The NJCAA is very excited to renew our partnership and continue working with the PGA of America,” said Christopher Parker, NJCAA president and chief executive officer. “This partnership will continue presenting opportunities for two-year collegiate golfers and prepare student-athletes for success long-term within the sport.”

As the New Mexico city of Ruidoso prepares to host the 30th anniversary of the Xterra World Championship, the mountain village hosted hundreds of athletes from August 15–17 for the inaugural Xterra Ruidoso triathlon event.

The Xterra World Championship will celebrate its 30 years by returning to the United States in Ruidoso from October 8–11, 2026.

The 2025 event began with a 1.5K swim in Grindstone Lake. The 30K bike course opened with a full lap around Grindstone Lake before launching into a 5.5K climb toward Grindstone Mesa. The final 10K run circled the lake twice before a last push into Wingfield Park.

The Sprint Distance Triathlon doubled as a Youth World Championship Qualifier, giving athletes the chance to test themselves on the trails where they could return for the Youth Worlds in 2026.

Xterra Americas Tour Manager Steve Andrus described the weekend as “a chance to unwind and just focus on having a good time, specifically focusing on adventure, active lifestyles, engaging with outdoor communities.”

“This event represents a new chapter for our community, one filled with hope, celebration, and the kind of outdoor adventure that defines who we are,” read the official statement from the Village of Ruidoso.

American Amanda Felder took the women’s Elite victory one year after winning the inaugural Xterra North American Championship. Former Xterra World Champion Josiah Middaugh claimed the men’s elite title.

“I was very intrigued and excited by the announcement that Worlds would be held in Ruidoso in 2026,” Felder said. “I had never been to Ruidoso in particular, but I’ve always appreciated New Mexico’s raw natural beauty, culture and rugged trails. This race was the perfect excuse to preview the new Worlds venue and I’m glad I raced here.”