“We Do Sports,” Huntsville Sports Commission geared for extraordinary 2026 year
MADISON – Drivin’ by the love of sports, the Huntsville Sports Commission continues to gain the reputation of being aggressive on being a host for numerous athletic endeavors to the immediate area. With 2025 now in the history books and all eyes are now fixed on the year ahead, as the athletic organization has touted 2025 as record setting in a variety of ways, but see the new year as bigger and better with an assemblage of events like never seen before in North Alabama.
‘This is an exciting time for Huntsville,” said Mark Russell, executive director of the non-profit Huntsville Sports Commission. “We’ve been doing well with Conference USA hosting the conference championship in basketball and we’re looking to gain other CUSA events.”
“We’re calling it extension and expansion,” added Joel Lamp, Sports Development Manager from the Huntsville/ Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, who said the Commission is looking other conference sports such as outdoor track and field, cross country, beach volleyball and bowling. “The conference has 12 teams and 10 are ranked among the top 25 as conference member Jacksonville State is very strong in bowling. We are competing with Lincoln, Neb. for the rights to host the bowling event.”
Those with the commission indicated ’26 is going to be big, but ’27 will be even bigger as numerous opportunities for collegiate and amateur organizations events can be hosted here in North Alabama. Lamp added, “We’ll start in January and have one big event a month for 24 months. When Mark and I started about four years ago, that was one of those mile markers we were looking for. We know we have the Trash Pandas, soccer and hockey teams, and that’s great, but we’re going to have some big events coming down the pipeline that we’re waiting on.”
The word circulating around the area in sports includes having another college football game held in Huntsville only this time not being held at Toyota Field, but playing the game at newly renovated Joe Davis Stadium. “We’re still kicking the tires on different models to see if that’s possible,” said Lamp.
The Huntsville Sports Commission has made what looks like a permanent connection with Conference USA and are looking to add a conference women’s game to the lineup, as well as, other conference championships into the mix.
The 2025 Masters Track and Field Championships at Milton Frank Stadium was a huge success and has opened the door for Jr. Olympics meets and potentially college track meets. With recent renovations and additions at the Huntsville City Schools property, track and field is now being a big value in the mix of possible major events. “Money was put into the facility as it became a run-down high school football stadium to become one of the top 10 track facilities in the country and all of that has been noticed by USA Track and Field,” said Lamp. “We feel like we’re on the verge of busting on the track stuff.”
Those with the Sports Commission are already boasting about 2027 as Huntsville will be host to three NCAA major events in a five-week stretch. Talks are currently underway with scheduling more NCAA events in connection with ESPN, and there’s more than talk about Huntsville hosting a Southeastern Conference softball game with an announcement possibly coming to the forefront in February.
“We’re already looking at January 2028 with our hosting the USA National Curling Championships at the expanded Iceplex,” added Russell.
Here’s a partial listing, with possible additions, of the monthly highlighted sports events scheduled for 2026:
Feb. 12-14: AHSAA State Wrestling Championships (VBC)
Feb. 21-22: NASA Bash Volleyball (VBC)
Feb. 27-Mar. 1: Southeastern Swim Championships (Aquatics Center)
Feb. 28: Rocket City Soccer Showcase (Spencer Sports Complex)
Mar. 6-8: Elevate The Stage Gymnastics-Clemson, Auburn, Georgia, Pittsburgh (VBC)
Mar 10-14: Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship (VBC)
Mar. 24- Alabama Baseball (Toyota Field)
April 17-18: UAH Track Invitational (MFS)
April 22-24: ASUN Beach Conference Volleyball Championships (John Hunt Park)
April 24-26: Gulf South Conference Woman’s Lacrosse Championships (Spencer Sports Complex)
April 30-May 2: NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championships (John Hunt Park)
May 6-9: AHSAA Soccer State Championships (Spencer Sports Complex)
May 22-23: Running Lane Track Championships (MFS)
May 23-25: Rocket City Blast Disc Golf (3 area courses)
May 25: Cotton Row Run (Downtown Huntsville)
June 30-July 2: AGA State Jr. Golf Championships (Valley Hill C.C.)
July 3-5: Huntsville Hoop Fest (JHP Rec Center)
July 5-12: USTA U-16 Clay Court Tennis Championships (ACA/HAC)
July 15-19: Tiger Rock Martial Arts Championships (VBC)
July 17-19: Southeastern Championships Swimming (Aquatics Center)
Sept. 4-7: UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships (Research Park)
Sept. 5-7: Labor Day Invitational Pickleball (RC Pickleball Club)
Sept: 18-19: Southern Showcase Cross Country (John Hunt Park)
Sept. 25-26: Twilight at PR’ville Cross Country (John Hunt Park)
Oct. 10: UAH Charger Cross Country Invitational (John Hunt Park)
Oct. 17: Randolph High Cross Country Invitational (John Hunt Park)
Oct. 23: ACCC Cross Country (John Hunt Park)
Oct. 23: ACCC Soccer (Spencer Sports Complex)
Oct. 31: CUSA Cross Country Championships (John Hunt Park)
Nov. 6-8: AVCA Beach Volleyball Pairs Nationals (John Hunt Park)
Nov. 5-8: GSC Soccer (Spencer Sports Complex)
Nov. 14: NJCAA Cross Country Nationals (John Hunt Park)
Nov. 17: NJCAA Half-Marathon Nationals (John Hunt Park)
Nov. 15-21: NJCAA Soccer Nationals (Spencer Sports Complex)
Nov. 20-21: AHSAA Swimming State Championships (Aquatics Center)
Nov. 21: NCAA Div. II Cross Country Regionals (John Hunt Park)
Dec. 5: Running Lane Cross Country Championships (John Hunt Park)
Dec. 11-13: 50th annual Rocket City Marathon (Downtown Huntsville)
Dec. 15: Rocket City Classic College Basketball- Auburn vs. MTSU (VBC)
The schedule for 2027 is already shaping up with new events to hit the schedule. Those new events include: April: CUSA bowling and golf; May: SEC Softball; June: Jr. Golf; July: USA Track & Field; Aug.: Disc Golf Amateur World Championships.
