In February it was announced that North Carolina’s Triangle and Triad region is a finalist to host the 2027 World University Games. The eligible area includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and Greensboro. The other finalist is Chungcheong Megacity in the Republic of Korea.
North Carolina’s regional bid is based on the volume of facilities available in the area. Among the included cities are 19 colleges and universities that have usable sporting facilities.
According to Hill Carrow, CEO and Chairman of the North Carolina Bid Committee (NCBC), the Games “are considered the Olympics for college and university athletes” and “are the second largest Olympic multi-sport event on the planet, trailing only the Summer Olympic Games.”
A press release from the NCBC stated that the Games typically include 150 countries, 19 sports and over 250 individual competitions. There are 15 required sports for the World University Games, including “archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics (track & field), badminton, basketball, diving, fencing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and water polo.” The NCBC has also proposed the addition of baseball, softball, rugby sevens and soccer.
The Herald spoke to Meredith College’s Athletic Director, Jackie Myers, about Meredith’s involvement with NCBC and the Games. Director Myers stated that if North Carolina is selected, “our facilities could be used in two ways—as practice facilities for the athletes competing, [or they may] also use some of our dorms to house the athletes.”
Director Myers added that the “Marketing department and our Sports Information Office would [also] be involved in this so that we can receive as much publicity for the college and the event as possible.”
The announcement regarding who has won the bid will take place during a International University Sports Federation meeting on Oct. 9, 2022. If selected, the NCBC proposed that the Games occur between July 13 and July 25, 2027.
By Elinor Shelp-Peck, Co-Editor in Chief