Colorado Springs’ Sports Economy is at Peak Performance
Colorado Springs encompasses 260 miles of hiking trails and 14,349 acres of parks and open spaces. Home to over 60 national and international sports organizations fueling Colorado Springs’ sports economy, the region bolsters a reputation as a haven for top athletes and businesses.
The crown jewel is unquestionably the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee — an organization headquartered in the city since 1894 and ultimately helped give Colorado Springs its title of Olympic City USA. Over twenty National Governing Bodies (NGB)s are headquartered in Colorado Springs, including USA Cycling, USA Swimming, and USA Hockey. The city is growing, too, with the City for Champions (C4C) initiative pulling winning projects like the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum which opened in July 2020, the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in August 2020, the Switchbacks FC’s Weidner Field in April 2021, and the Ed Robson Arena in October 2021.
Sports businesses flourish in Colorado Springs because of the organizations, events and facilities, and the more than 15,000 elite athletes that visit and train in the city each year.
The Right Conditions for Athletic Achievement
Conditioned with facilities and events that boost the city’s reputation as a destination for world-class athletes, there’s no wonder the sporting industry in Colorado Springs stands out as a national leader. Every year thousands of motor enthusiasts and extreme sports fans gather from around the world for The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb — a 12.42-mile race to the summit of America’s Mountain. The climb includes more than 156 turns on grades averaging 7.2 percent.
The Pikes Peak region is home to hundreds of world-class facilities as well, including the Broadmoor World Arena. The 8,000 seat multi-purpose arena hosts sporting events, concerts, and family-friendly shows like Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the Original Harlem Globetrotters. An ice hall adjoins the facility which is the home of the Broadmoor Skate club and a U.S. Olympic training site.
William J. Hybl Medicine and Performance Center, a partnership between the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Centura Health, provides cutting-edge treatment and recovery. From training to orthopedic medicine, pro and amateur athletes can hone their performance with elite-level care.
Technological innovation extends beyond the Hybl Center and throughout Colorado Springs’ sporting economy, with Rocky Mountain State Games introducing high-tech youth sports to the community. The organization hosted the first statewide tournament for the growing sport of drone soccer in 2021.
The pipeline to the next generation of sports industry professionals is strong in Colorado Springs, with sports management programs like the one at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ nationally accredited College of Business.
Sports Businesses that thrive in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is ideal for sports businesses not only because of its association with major national and international sports organizations, but because it offers a natural environment conducive to performance-based training. With an abundance of natural terrain, mild weather, and a community of athletes, the region offers optimal testing ground for the developers and manufacturers of sporting equipment. The Colorado Springs Sports Corporation (The Sports Corp) non-profit was originally created to help with the relocation of the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1978, but has since grown as an organization to attract sports businesses and events from across the U.S.
Over 750 tech and manufacturing companies are broadening Colorado Springs’ appeal as a national leader in innovative sports technology. In 2013, Borealis founder Steve Kaczmarek combined his knowledge of carbon fibers with his love of mountain biking and set out to test his invention in the mountains of Colorado Springs. Now his company produces the number one fat bike in the world.
Maxx Eyewear has a similar story: a company that started out by selling sunglasses and snow goggles from trailers and has seen sales explode to over 20,000 retail customers across the United States.
Strong organizational leadership, education, and the region’s natural terrain make Colorado Springs a grandstand for athletic achievement. Contact us to learn more about growing your sports business in the Pikes Peak Region.