The International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced that the two finalist contenders in the bidding for the 2027 Summer World University Games are North Carolina (USA) and Chungcheong Megacity (Republic of Korea). North Carolina’s bid includes its Triangle and Triad regions while South Korea’s regional bid includes the cities of Daejeon and Sejong and the provinces of Chungbuk and Chungnam.
“We are delighted to receive the news today that our United States bid, with North Carolina as our host city partner, has made it to the final phase of the competition to land the 2027 Summer World University Games,” said Dan Guerrero, President of the U.S. International University Sports Federation (USIUSF), the U.S. member of FISU. “We know we have what it takes to host and stage an outstanding Games, and we look forward to working with the North Carolina Bid Committee in making our case to FISU.”
The Summer World University Games are the largest event for student athletes on the planet and second in size only to the Olympic Games in terms of global Olympic multi-sport competitions. The World University Games are a long-standing and highly-regarded event, with a Winter and Summer Games being held typically every other year in the odd year – with the exception of 2021 when Covid caused the Winter Games to be cancelled and the Summer Games to be postponed until June of this year. The Games were established with the first edition in Turin, Italy, in 1959 and returned to Italy (Naples) in 2019 for the event’s 60th Anniversary. This year’s Summer Games will be held in Chengdu, China, June 26-July 7, 2022.
“While the Summer Games have not been held in the United States since the 1993 Games in Buffalo, NY,” said Delise O’Meally, Secretary General of the USIUSF and a member of the FISU Executive Board, “our country currently has strong momentum for the bid. Awareness of the Games and the international university sport movement is building rapidly in the U.S. as we are in the final year of preparations for the Winter World University Games to be held in Lake Placid, New York, slated for January of 2023.”
The Summer World University Games typically include over 150 countries and an official delegation of athletes, coaches, and support staff totaling more than 10,000. With 19 sports being conducted at as many as 60 different venues, the Games can encompass more than 250 individual sports competitions. Up to 1,500 members of the national and international media attend, and the Games are broadcast worldwide to an audience of over 400 million. Independent third-party studies have shown the significant local economic impacts of the event to range from $150 million to over $370 million.
North Carolina’s regional bid includes the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and Greensboro. The region is known worldwide as a university hub with 19 colleges and universities including five universities of the University of North Carolina system: the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC State University, North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and NC A&T State University. There are also five historically black colleges and universities (HBCU’s): Shaw University, St. Augustine’s University, and Bennett College, in addition to NCCU and NC A&T. Private universities in the region include Duke University, Elon University, High Point University, Meredith College, William Peace University, Guilford College, and Greensboro College. Four community colleges – Wake Tech, Durham Tech, Alamance Community College and Guilford Technical Community College – round out the Central North Carolina University Hub. Altogether, there are more than 260,000 students attending higher education institutions in the region.
“Needless to say, we are thrilled that we have made it to this stage in the process and that we are representing the United States of America in such an exciting competition for this global event,” said Hill Carrow, Chairman & CEO of the North Carolina Bid Committee. “Kudos to our Bid Committee members and staff, as well as leaders of our universities, venues, cities, counties, national and state sports organizations, and the State of North Carolina for helping us achieve this milestone. We look forward to continued work with all our stakeholders to bring the Games back to the United States where we intend to provide a world-class experience to Games participants, guests, and fans.”
The staging of the Games in North Carolina would be within the same footprint as was used in 1987 to host the U.S. Olympic Festival, which still holds the record as the largest sports event ever staged in North Carolina with attendance of over 464,000. North Carolina has proposed the dates of Tuesday, July 13 through Sunday, July 25, 2027, as the preferred dates for hosting the Games. The year 2027 would actually mark the 40th Anniversary of the U.S. Olympic Festival in North Carolina.
About the United States International University Sports Federation: The USIUSF is the American organization that holds membership in the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and is the governing body for USA teams participating in the World University Games and World University Championships. USIUSF is comprised of representatives from the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors (NACDA). For more information on the United States International University Sports Federation, visit United States of America (USA) (fisu.net)
About the North Carolina Bid Committee: Centered in the heart of North Carolina, the North Carolina Bid Committee is comprised of individuals who are helping with, supporting, and leading an initiative to recruit and host the 2027 Summer World University Games in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill-Cary-Greensboro region of North Carolina. The NCBC is affiliated with, and supported by, the Triangle Sports Commission, which serves Wake, Durham, and Orange Counties in North Carolina. The primary goals of the NCBC are to host one of the best World University Games ever, with a great participant experience being the primary barometer; and to showcase North Carolina, and the communities and universities that comprise its central region, to the world. North Carolina’s bid is currently sponsored by the Angus Barn, Atlantic Tire & Service, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Cary Chamber of Commerce, Contender eSports, Duke Energy, Duke Health, Edge Printed Products, First Bank, Hannah Sheridan & Cochran Law Firm, Hummingbird Creative Group, Martin Marietta, McDonald York Building Company, North Carolina FC & the NC Courage, PNC Bank, Raleigh Orthopaedic, Sports & Properties, Inc., Stewart, Triangle Badminton & Table Tennis, Triangle Sports Commission, UNC Health, Wake Competition Center, WakeMed, Wasserman, and York Properties, Inc. For more information on the North Carolina Bid Committee or to make a donation to support the bid, visit www.ncwug2027bid.com
About the Summer World University Games: The Summer World University Games are the world’s largest event for student athletes, ages 18-25. The rightsholder for the Games is the International University Sports Federation (FISU), based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The U.S. member of FISU is the United States International University Sports Federation (USIUSF), located in Orlando, Florida. The World University Games got their formal start with the 1959 Games in Torino, Italy, where 985 athletes from 45 countries competed in 7 sports during a 12-day period. In more recent times, Taipei 2017 for example, 7,377 athletes from 134 countries competed over 13 days in 275 competitive events in 22 sports at 60 venues where 1,957 medals were awarded. The 15 required sports of the Summer World University Games are Archery, Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics (Track & Field), Badminton, Basketball, Diving, Fencing, Judo, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Volleyball, and Water Polo. For its bid for the 2027 WUG, the NCBC has proposed Baseball, Rugby 7s, Soccer, and Softball as the “local option” sports. For more information about the World University Games, FISU, and World University Championships, visit www.fisu.net
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