Orange County Sports Commission Announces 2021 Events

The Orange County Sports Commission in California has announced it has 16 confirmed sports events for the destination in 2021 that are anticipated to attract more than 155,000 combined attendees and generate an estimated economic impact of $53 million.

Of those, 11 were booked since the onset of the pandemic, giving leaders in Anaheim and the surrounding communities a positive outlook for hosting events in the year to come.

“Our team continues to work efficiently to bring new events to the destination and remains focused on supporting our local tourism industry in its recovery efforts both now and later,” said OCSC President Jay Burress. “For 2021, we hope these confirmed sports events will help jumpstart our economy and make it possible for local hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses to start rehiring their workforce.”

While 2021 has 16 events booked, the sports commission has confirmed 22 total events since the pandemic hit in March 2020. The total impact of those events is estimated to be more than $60 million. Events confirmed for this year include United Spirit Association’s Varsity Spirit & Dance Nationals, USA Curling’s Curling Night in America, ESPN Event’s Wooden Legacy Basketball Tournament and USA Curling’s Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials.

The Orange County Sports Commission was formed in 2019 as a division of Visit Anaheim to solicit, promote and enhance sporting events across the Southern California county, which includes Anaheim, Irvine and Huntington Beach.

“OCSC has enabled our region to usher in a new era of opportunity and unity for sporting events in Orange County,” said Tim Ryan, OCSC chairman. “This commission is allowing Orange County to emerge as a premier sports destination and is paving the way to capitalize on the number of different world-class venues in the area.”