Centre County, PA to host 2026 State Games of America

An Olympic-style national event held every other year is coming to Happy Valley in 2026.

The State Games of America, which features 30 states and more than 30 sports, will host its biennial, six-day sporting event from July 28 to Aug. 2, 2026, in Centre County at multiple yet-to-be-determined locations. At least 8,000 amateur athletes and fans of all ages are expected to participate, according to a joint announcement Tuesday from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA).

It’s the first time Pennsylvania has hosted the national event in more than a decade. The last time was in 2013, when the Hershey and Harrisburg areas welcomed participants.

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“Like Ironman, hosting the State Games of America is a tremendous opportunity for Happy Valley, both economically and in terms of visibility,” Eric Engelbarts, HVSEA president, said in a written statement. “The marketing and brand value of hosting an event of this stature is a tremendous added benefit. Like Ironman, it’s an event that needs community support, which is incredible.”

Locals and Pennsylvanians may be more familiar with the smaller, state-level sporting event at the Keystone State Games, held later this month in Luzerne County. The national biennial event simply invites gold, silver and bronze medalists from those U.S. state games — along with previous medalists from the 2022 or 2024 national games — to compete in the larger event. But for Pennsylvanians, qualifying is even easier.

Because Pennsylvania is hosting the 2026 national event, residents of the state (and neighboring states) do not need to qualify by winning a medal at the state games. They have already qualified by virtue of being a Pennsylvanian and, like the Keystone State Games, simply need to register. Technically, there will be no Keystone State Games in 2026, as state competitors will simply compete nationally.

The same goes for the most recent host state, California, where the city of San Diego will host the national event later this month.

That means Centre County residents have some of the easiest paths to participating in the 2026 State Games of America. The full schedule of sporting events has not yet been determined, but some sports are open to all ages, while others — primarily team sports — are open to those 18 and under. Sports under consideration include archery, basketball, bocce, bowling, cornhole, disc golf, esports, field hockey, flag football, golf, gymnastics, karate, pickleball, powerlifting, soccer, volleyball and wrestling, among more than two dozen others.

Due to regional differences, the sports offered often change from one national event to another. In San Diego, for example, surfing is one of the listed events — and that is obviously not considered in Happy Valley.

Happy Valley is the 10th host of the State Games of America since the first biennial hosting in 1999. Previous hosts include Ames/Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colorado (three times); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Hartford, Connecticut; Hershey/Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lincoln, Nebraska; Lynchburg, Virginia; San Diego, California (twice); and St. Louis (twice).

The State Games of America are organized by the National Congress of State Games, which consists of 30 organizations and is designed to promote “health, fitness and character building.” It is a member of the Multi Sports Organizational Council of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Participating locations around Happy Valley are expected to be announced as the event approaches. A timer on the Keystone State Games website shows more than 740 days to go.