Rockford Region to Host First Lacrosse Tournament

A new sport tournament helps strengthen the Rockford region’s position as a leading sports destination. The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced today that the region will host its first ever lacrosse tournament next summer.

The Rock River Cup, organized by NXTsports, will take place June 15 – 16, 2013 at Sportscore Two. The national boys lacrosse tournament will feature youth and high school divisions. This will be the first time the community has hosted a lacrosse event. The tournament will draw more than 3,000 players, coaches and fans to the region. They will fill an estimated 3,250 hotel room nights and spend an estimated $585,000 during their stay.

“Hosting a lacrosse tournament of this caliber establishes the Rockford Region as a player in the lacrosse market and will make the region a contender for similar events in the future,” said RACVB President/CEO John Groh. “RACVB is fortunate to have great partners in the Rockford Park District’s Sportscore Two and our local hotels that enable us to attract events like the Rock River Cup.

The RACVB sales team first connected with NXTsports at the TEAMS sports tradeshow in the fall of 2011. Staff recognized the region would be a good fit for lacrosse and brought the event organizers out in April 2012 to show them first-hand what our sports venues have to offer and the servicing provided by RACVB.

“At NXTsports, we pride ourselves on hosting events that exceed expectations, and a big part of that expectation is choosing elite venues,” said Andy Hayes, President and CEO of NXTsports. “After a site visit to the Sportscore Two Complex, it was apparent that this venue fit our criteria. In addition to award winning facilities, Rockford itself offers a unique and accessible location, as well as a myriad of activities for visiting teams and families to experience over the weekend.”

The NXTsports tournament format includes family friendly scheduling which allows players and parents a great lacrosse experience and time to explore all that the Rock River region has to offer.