U.S. NGBs Issue Annual Updates and Outline Future Plans at TEAMS ’26

At the TEAMS Conference & Expo ’26 in Birmingham, Alabama, last week, leaders from eight Olympic and Paralympic national governing bodies delivered rapid-fire updates on upcoming events, membership initiatives and strategic priorities for the year and years ahead.

In a SportsLink/TEAMS session sponsored by Sports Milwaukee and emceed by four-time Team USA snowboard cross Olympian (and one-time gold medalist) Nick Baumgartner, the leaders shared key insights and opportunities that TEAMS ’26 attendees needed to know to plan future events, build partnerships and stay connected to the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

In a fast-paced, information-packed session, attendees received advice about attracting more sports events to their destinations, especially in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Here, SportsTravel summarizes the key insights that the NGB leaders shared on stage:

Dean Gemmell, CEO, USA Curling:

Gemmell, who has held the role of CEO at USA Curling since May 2023, discussed how the growing popularity of curling had led to the conversion of hockey arenas into curling arenas for events such as national championships. These venues require six days to be temporarily converted into curling arenas, and can accommodate up to three sessions per day.

Earlier this month, a new 30,000-square-foot dedicated curling facility opened in Dallas, Texas, and further openings are scheduled in destinations such as Tampa, Florida, and Huntsville, Alabama. The national governing body is seeking to increase both the number of curling participants and attendances at national events, while Gemmell outlined the opportunities for sponsors, streaming platforms and destinations to share in the sport’s continuing growth.

“Our sport is growing. That means more participants, more fans, and more people coming to your destinations to watch our best players,” said Gemmell.

Jamie Davis, CEO, USA Water Polo:

Davis highlighted the inaugural World Aquatics Water Polo 4×4, or WP4, Open Championship (August 31 through September 6, 2026) in Dubrovnik’s (Croatia) Old City Harbour and the 2027 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, as examples of the expansion and diversification of water polo. With smaller fields of play and open water playability, water polo events can now be held in a range of public locations (from pools to lakes), new formats can be introduced, and the aim is to secure water polo 4×4’s place in the 2036 Olympic Summer Games program.

“We believe that this (Water Polo 4×4) is a new format that is on a very big trajectory,” said Davis.

At LA28, the Team USA Water Polo House will be located just 0.4 miles away from the Olympic venue, at Altar Society Brewing. The venue will serve as a hub for Olympians, coaches, friends, fans and families, while unique programming is planned for each day of the Games.

Scott Cole, director of event operations, USA Gymnastics:

Just before TEAMS ’26, USA Gymnastics had competed at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, returning with eight medals (three golds, three silvers and two bronzes).

With LA28 on the horizon, a new mixed-team format will be adopted for the first time at an Olympic Games, featuring teams from eight countries composed of up to three men and three women. Before that, the USA Gymnastics American Cup will return from a seven-year hiatus next year (March 2027) in Greater Atlanta to launch the new format, as it transitions away from the individual all-around format used between 1976 and 2020.

“I think this is going to be one of the most exciting formats that we’ll see heading into LA28,” said Cole. “It’s going to be a real celebration and festival.”

Meanwhile, Louisville, Kentucky, will be designated as Gymnastics City USA in June 2028, serving as the final selection stop and home for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials before LA28.

Taryn Cass, manager of events, USA Hockey:

Cass reflected on an “incredible” year for USA Hockey, capped off by bringing home three gold medals at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. It also marked the United States’ first Olympic gold in men’s hockey for 46 years, since the “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid in 1980.

That success in Italy generated an “unbelievable moment of excitement and visibility” for USA Hockey members this year. The governing body’s membership rose to 100,000 women for the first time after the Milan-Cortina Games, and it is also on track for three percent year-on-year growth, according to Cass.

“For us as an NGB, I think the real opportunity is turning this into moments of lasting participation and engagement,” she said.

In 2027, the IHF World Under-18 Championships, in partnership with the NHL, will head to Minnesota as USA Hockey continues to explore collaborations with new host communities.

Mick Hogan, consultant, USA Rugby/World Rugby:

With two significant events in the United States on the horizon — the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2033 — USA Rugby is preparing for one of its busiest stretches ever.

This has already been a seismic year for the sport in the U.S. On September 12, South Africa defeated New Zealand 43-28 in front of a record national attendance of 68,000 at Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium, while a Fourth of July game between USA and Portugal in Denver, Colorado, also drew a record attendance of 11,000 for the USA’s Men’s National Team against a non-Tier One national team (Tier One nations include Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Wales). Meanwhile, the USA Women’s National Team broke the 10,000-attendance barrier for the second year in a row in Kansas City, Missouri, in April, when they played against Australia in a Pacific Four Series at CPKC Stadium.

Eight event weekends will be played in 2027, and by the start of Q4, the final list of host cities and venues for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2031 is expected to be revealed. At the time of writing, 25 cities and 29 venues are under consideration by World Rugby.

“Over the next five to seven years, we are going to see the continued growth of the sport as we move towards those two massive occasions in 2031 and 2033,” said Hogan.

Erich Groezinger, director of membership and events, National Wheelchair Basketball Association:

The largest and oldest adaptive sports society in the world celebrated its 79th season in October, and the immediate future looks bright, too. The U.S. Men’s National Team will be competing for its fourth consecutive gold medal at LA28, and its Women’s National Team secured its first gold medal at an IWBF World Championships in 16 years by beating host nation Canada in the final in Ottawa.

From April 8—11, 2027, the NWBA will host over 100 teams and 1,000 athletes at the 2027 NWBA Adult and Junior Division Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Mesa, Arizona. Moreover, the association is in discussions with other cities about hosting its events nationwide.

“We want to bring wheelchair basketball to your communities, and we’ve seen the impact it has already had in previous host cities,” said Groezinger.

Over the coming years, the NWBA plans to launch a 3×3 basketball league, as is already the case in standard basketball, and it will debut multiple activations both before and during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Katie Cleveland, associate director of events, USA Taekwondo:

Cleveland joined USA Taekwondo at a challenging time in 2023, which was the start of the first full season after the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid hit the national governing body hard, with membership numbers dropping to just 4,500.

Three years later, however, USA Taekwondo has tripled its membership to more than 14,000 members. Cleveland attributed this progression to “clear and consistent” communication with members and “really well-run” events that bring athletes, families, friends and fans to destinations across the United States.

By partnering with the Pan-American Taekwondo Union, or PATU, the NGB wants to accommodate more athletes and deliver even bigger events in the future. It is now accepting bids for its 2029—2032 slate of events, including the US Open, the American Open, National Championships and Season Finals.

“We’re not done with growing — we are focusing on our international events and bringing more international events here for our members,” said Cleveland.

Michael Retcher, USA Diving director, events and strategic initiatives:

Reportedly the fourth most-watched sport at the Olympic Summer Games, diving is having its moment to shine in the United States ahead of LA28. USA Diving has just opened up the bidding process for its 2027 National Championships and 2027 Winter National Championships (due December 8), and more than 18 qualifying championships are now taking place each year across 200-plus member clubs.

The sport of diving is rapidly evolving worldwide, with head-to-head competitions launching across the world, including new synchronized events for both male and female athletes. USA Diving is taking advantage of this growth, too, after 10,000 fans lined up at Ross’ Landing on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the 2026 Chattanooga River Games in August this year.

USA Diving aims to deliver more traditional and high-diving events featuring festival-style music and entertainment in the coming years. Furthermore, it is growing its domestic events footprint: its events were held in 29 U.S. cities in 2025, and in 2026, that number will rise to 31.

“These events bring festival-style approaches to your cities, partnering with music festivals and community-run events that allow them to have a true family atmosphere,” said Retcher.