Press Room

The 2026 USA Games will feature 16 team and individual sports, including: Athletics (Track and Field), Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Competitive Cheer, Cornhole (NEW!), Flag Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Pickleball (NEW!), Powerlifting, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, and Volleyball. For more information about each sport, visit our list of sports.

The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will take place June 20-26, 2026. The USA Games will kick off with an exciting Opening Ceremony, followed by approximately six consecutive days of sports competitions.

Sport competitions as well as special events will be hosted by the University of Minnesota, as well as at a secondary hub at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

All event details are still in development and will be announced closer to the USA Games. For a high level overview of special events programming at the Games, visit our Beyond Sports page.

Special Olympics is for everyone. This inclusive movement is made up of many roles: volunteers, coaches, team assistants, athletes, partners, donors, Unified partners and more!

● For information and updates, we recommend signing up for our official newsletter.

● For opportunities specific to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, please visit Get Involved.

Working closely with Special Olympics Minnesota and Special Olympics North America, the Organizing Committee, led by Christy Sovereign, CEO, will be responsible for deploying an Executive Leadership Team of professionals, partners, volunteers, and agencies to fully staff, plan and run the USA Games now through 2026.

The USA Games are funded through corporate partnership dollars in addition to individual donations. For partnership opportunities, contact kquiring@2026usagames.org

The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games Athlete Advisory Council was formed in 2022 to gain athlete insights on the overall USA Games experience. The Council, now comprised of 14 athlete members, has been consulted on the logo design, development of a new app, and the proposed marketing campaign. More frequent sessions, typically conducted via remote video conferencing, will occur as the USA Games get closer. For more information about each member of the council, click here.

To establish national representation, the 2026 USA Games leadership team reached out for recommendations from state Programs and the United States Athlete Leadership Council, placing a limit of 4 athletes from Minnesota as the host state. Proposed candidates were evaluated based on their leadership skills, Global Messenger status, previous USA Games involvement, and willingness/availability to participate.

Current or former Special Olympics athletes are encouraged to contact the USA Games directly for potential volunteer, research group, and engagement opportunities: info@2026usagames.org