HATTIESBURG NAMED NATIONAL FINALIST FOR 2026 SPORTSTRAVEL AWARD AS BEST SPORTS HOST CITY
Hattiesburg has been named one of seven finalists for the 2026 SportsTravel Award for Best Sports Host City.
Hattiesburg has been named one of seven finalists for the 2026 SportsTravel Award for Best Sports Host City.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (July 31, 2026) — Hattiesburg has been named one of seven finalists for the 2026 SportsTravel Award for Best Sports Host City. This prestigious honor recognizes destinations that have demonstrated excellence in hosting sporting events and advancing the sports event industry through exceptional partnerships, outstanding visitor experiences, and measurable community impact.
Presented annually by SportsTravel magazine, the awards honor the events, venues, and host cities that set the standard for excellence in sports tourism. Hattiesburg earned a place among this year’s finalists after being nominated by readers for its outstanding work hosting sporting events during in 2025-2026.
During the eligibility period, Hattiesburg continued to strengthen its reputation as one of the Gulf South’s premier sports destinations by hosting a diverse lineup of collegiate, youth, and amateur sporting events. Highlights include the NCAA Baseball Regional, NAIA National Championship Opening Round, Diamond Boys Baseball World Series, Big Rip Classic disc golf tournament, a record-breaking Hattiesburg Half Marathon, and multiple other championship events. Together, these competitions generated millions of dollars in visitor spending while welcoming players, coaches, and spectators from across the country.
Hattiesburg’s commitment to sports tourism extends beyond the events it hosts. More than $85 million in venue improvements and new facility investments, including the future Hattiesburg Sports & Recreation Event Center, renovations to Reed Green Coliseum, and enhancements to City of Hattiesburg facilities such as Jaycee Park and Timberton Softball Complex, are positioning the destination to attract even more regional and national competitions in the years ahead.
Through strategic event recruitment, community partnerships, and destination marketing, VisitHattiesburg continues to grow the city’s sports tourism impact and attract events from across the region and nation.
“Hattiesburg’s recognition as a finalist reflects the incredible growth of our sports tourism industry and the shared vision of our community partners,” said VisitHattiesburg CEO Marlo Dorsey. “We have worked intentionally to attract premier events, and that success would not be possible without the collaboration of our venues, stakeholders, universities, volunteers, and community partners, each playing an important role in creating championship-caliber experiences. We’re honored to be recognized on the national stage.”
Hattiesburg joins a strong field of finalists including Houston, Texas; Miami, Florida; Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Community members, athletes, coaches, and sports fans are encouraged to support Hattiesburg by voting in the 2026 SportsTravel Awards. Public voting is open through August 28, 2026, at SportsTravelAwards.com.
Winners will be announced during TEAMS ’26, one of the nation’s leading sports conferences, October 26-29 in Birmingham, Alabama.
For more information about Hattiesburg’s sports tourism offerings, visit www.visithburg.org/sports.