By Jasmine Gill
From Olympic-style sports to ranch riding and more, you have the opportunity to witness unique sports events this summer! Bryan College Station Sports + Events has been working hard in bringing exciting and even international events into the area for the Brazos County community to attend and enjoy.
Bryan College Station Sports + Events is a branch of Experience Bryan College Station and acts as the area’s sport commission. Their main focus is to drive regional spending by attracting and retaining large scale sporting events in the area, according to Bishop Turon, sports marketing manager of Bryan College Station Sports + Events.
Bryan College Station Sports + Events recruits a wide variety of events, according to Turon. “We [host] everything from softball, to basketball, to golf,” he says. “We have a lot of different facilities that accommodate a lot of different things and people.”
The three big events that might catch your eye this summer are the Adidas Texas State 7-on-7 Championships, the American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Cup, and the American Junior Golf Association All-Star Golf Tournament.
The Adidas Texas State 7-on-7 Championships is a high school football tournament, returning to College Station for its 20th year, according to Turon. It brings in 128 teams, accounts for nearly 4,000 hotel room nights, and generates an estimated $3 million.
The division I bracket will be on Friday, June 29, and Saturday, June 30. The division II and III bracket will begin play on Thursday, June 28, and close on Friday, June 29. The event will be hosted at the Veterans Park and Athletic Complex and is free for the community to attend.
“This is one of Bryan College Station Sports + Events flagship events of the [year],” says Turon. “We are proud to host this event each and every year. ... We are very service oriented, so anytime an event like this comes to us, we make sure every fine detail is accounted for because we always want to make it the best it can be.”
The American Quarter Association Youth World Cup is a traveling international event held from June 28 to July 8 at the Brazos County Expo Complex. The event will have multiple competitions such as showmanship, ranch riding, reining, and cutting. Fifteen countries will be represented at this year’s event.
“We estimate that over 180 athletes and over 400 international visitors will be coming to the area,” says Turon. “In the past, this event has been hosted in Germany and New South Wales, [Australia].”
The American Junior Golf Association All-Star tournament will be hosted at the Texas A&M University Golf Club from July 8 to July 12. The event will tee off with a Junior-Am fundraising tournament and will later conclude with three days of competitive play. The field of competitors is comprised of 132 boys and girls, ages 12 to 15. In years past, PGA legends like Jordan Speith, Tiger Woods, and Dustin Johnson have been youth participants.
“This is the best of the best in your backyard,” says Turon.
B/CS is within a three hours’ drive to 80 percent of Texas’ population. Turon says B/CS’s ease of accessibility coupled with the region’s award-winning facilities, hotels, and attractions make B/CS an event planners dream.
“We have so many different facilities and things to do, that it’s a great fit for any group looking for a place to host an event,” says Turon.
To learn more about Experience Bryan College Station and Bryan College Station Sports + Events, visit www.experiencebcs.com or www.bcssportsandevents.com.
