Now in its third year with Liberty University as its title sponsor, the 2018 Commonwealth Games is expected to set a participation record after eclipsing 11,000 participants in 2017.
The games are operated by Virginia Amateur Sports (VAS) and offer Olympic-styled sporting events, with most held on Liberty’s campus. The Commonwealth Games is the largest, annual multisports festival in Virginia.
Dan Foutz, president of VAS, said 41 sporting events (13 more than last year) will be held over Main Games Weekend, set for July 27-29. Events range from the traditional team sports of basketball, baseball, and lacrosse to archery, bowling, billiards, wrestling, tennis, and many more. New this year will be three additional shooting sports, taekwondo, and wing racing (drones).
Many of the thousands of athletes and their families will take advantage of the Olympic Village-type environment on campus by staying in residence halls and eating at the Food Court at Reber-Thomas. Participants are invited to a tailgate party in the Indoor Practice Facility prior to opening ceremonies at nearby Williams Stadium.
Online registration for the 2018 Games is available at CommonwealthGames.org.
The stadium will also be the site of opening ceremonies for next summer’s State Games of America, which is set for July 29-Aug. 4, 2019. The event is held every two years in different locations throughout the country. Medal winners from the 2017 and 2018 games held in 34 states will also be eligible to compete.
While basketball has been the most popular sport in the Commonwealth Games — more than 150 teams are expected to register this summer — pickleball is rising in popularity and could emerge as the highest participation sport. Figure skating is projected to have the largest turnout for the 2019 State Games of America.
The 2017 Commonwealth Games generated more than $2.6 million in economic impact for the Lynchburg area. The 2019 State Games of America are projected to bring in $5 million.
