A Message From The Director
Dear Greater Columbus Sports Commission supporter:
Welcome to the Fall 2007 edition of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission's e-newsletter.
First of all, thanks to all of you who attended and made the fourth-annual The Morning Sports Report a tremendous success. We had a record crowd on hand as we celebrated the Sports Commission's fifth anniversary and took a look ahead to what we'd like to accomplish in the next five years. A special thanks to all of our special guests and our partners who made the event so memorable.
With our first five years under our belt, we are eager to embark on our next five years—and what a start it will be. Our community will host a variety of major events in the next eight months, culminating with the 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in June 2008. We announced the event at The Morning Sports Report, and will be promoting it heavily in the next eight months. Check out www.Columbus08.com for continuous updates and ticket information!
But the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships—the premier annual event for athletes ages 14-19—will be just one of several major events we will host in coming months. The PBA Tour will return to Columbus in late February when the Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic is held at Sequoia Pro Bowl, with the event's finals to be televised on ESPN.
Also in the spring, two national collegiate championships—the Women's Division I Swimming and Diving Championships and the Women's Synchronized Swimming National Championships—will be held at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, one of our community's newest facilities. We are also close to landing the USA Swimming Grand Prix in early April that would feature Olympian Michael Phelps and other elite swimmers.
The events will combine with many of our annual events—including OHSAA state championship tournaments, USA Volleyball Ohio Valley Region tournaments, and many others—to attract players, coaches and fans to Columbus in droves in the coming months.
In the meantime, we'll continue never-ending efforts to attract ever more professional, collegiate, amateur and youth sporting events to Columbus. We have several exciting events in the pipeline, and we look forward to sharing the good news with you when we turn those bids into bookings!
To stay up to date on all of the events on our radar screen, please visit our Web site at www.ColumbusSports.org on a regular basis. Among the many features you'll find is an updated Calendar of Events that includes hundreds of professional, collegiate and youth sporting events.
Thank you again for your support of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
Sincerely,
Linda Shetina Logan
Executive Director
PBA Tour to return to Columbus in 2008 after 18-year hiatus
Sequoia Pro Bowl will host its first-ever Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour event when the 2008 Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic comes to town Feb. 26-March 2, 2008.
The event is named after the late Don Johnson, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977, finishing his career with 26 Denny's PBA Tour titles. The former Columbus resident was the PBA Player of the Year in 1971 and '72, but is best known for his 299 game in the 1970 PBA Tournament of Champions finals.
2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships tickets on sale now
Tickets to the 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships are now on sale at www.Columbus08.com.
The Holiday Inn on the Lane, the official host hotel for the event, kicked off ticket sales this month when it purchased 10 all-sessions passes for the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships, to be held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in June. The purchase marked the first ticket sale for the premier track & field meet for our nation's athletes ages 14-19.
Tickets to the 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships are $30 each for an adult all-sessions pass and $10 for a youth (ages 3-12) all-sessions pass. Day passes are $12 for adults and $10 for youths.
Also visit www.Columbus08.com for more information about the three-day event, which will be held June 20-22 on The Ohio State University campus. Approximately 800 of the best track & field athletes from the United States will compete.
Sports Commission to host 2nd annual Duck 'N Dodge dodgeball tournament
A dodgeball tour that is owned in part by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission will make its second stop in Columbus in February.
Ohio Hockey Classic moves to Value City Arena in December 2007
The fourth-annual Ohio Hockey Classic, hosted by The Ohio State University, will move into Value City Arena for the first time when it is held in late December.
Other News
Eleven hotels sign on to new Sports Commission sponsorship program
Artina Promotional Products becomes GCSC corporate partner
Kate Kastenholz, Aaron Motley, Jeremy Netzley join GCSC staff
Recent Bookings
- NCAA Men's Fencing National Championships (2008)
- National Softball Association Girls Fast Pitch World Series (2008)
Current Bids
- USA Swimming Grand Prix (2008)
- National Association of Sports Commissions Sports Event Symposium (2010 or 2011)
- McDonald's All-American Games (2010)
Upcoming Events In Greater Columbus
- OHSAA Cross Country Championships (Nov. 3, Scioto Downs)
- OHSAA Boys and Girls Soccer State Finals (Nov. 9-10, Crew Stadium)
About the Greater Columbus Sports Commission
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission was formed in June 2002 to provide leadership, guidance and marketing expertise in attracting regional, national and international sporting events and activities to bolster Greater Columbus economically and socially.
Staff
- Linda Shetina Logan, Executive Director
- Brian Timm, Director of Corporate Partnerships
- Mikel Johnson, Sales Manager
- Gwen Verhoff, Senior Events Manager
- Kate Kastenholz, Office Manager
- Aaron Motley, Events Coordinator
- Jeremy Netzley, Marketing Coordinator
- Media Contact
Brent LaLonde, LaLonde Communications
Board of Commissioners
- Brian Ellis, Chair – Nationwide Realty Investors
- Paul Astleford – Experience Columbus
- Joey Schottenstein – Schottenstein Stores Corporation
- Butch Moore – The Dispatch Printing Company
- Michael Priest – Worthington Industries/Columbus Blue Jackets
- Rhett Ricart – Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority
- Gene Smith – The Ohio State University
- Dennis Welch – American Electric Power
Join Our Team
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission is continually in need of volunteers to support the various sports events held in Columbus. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact the GCSC's Gwen Verhoff, Senior Events Manager.
Contact Us
Greater Columbus Sports Commission
Administrative Offices
45 Vine St
Columbus, OH 43215
614-221-6060
800-331-0092
Email