State Spotlight:
Oregon

Sports are in the DNA in Oregon, and it’s easily apparent in its many professional and collegiate teams. But the Beaver State goes well beyond professional and collegiate sports. With its many venues and fields, Oregon has asserted itself as a natural playground for sports. “Our collaborative nature in Oregon sets us apart,” said Matt Reed of Director of Sports Tourism for Sport Oregon. “We love our state and want to share it with the world. A lot of folks around the country haven’t ventured out the Pacific Northwest, so once they’re here we want them to start exploring. The food. The wine. The Coast. The Mountains. It’s really an endless array of beauty and fun that we have in Oregon, and I really think that provides attendees and families with unique experiences outside the walls or fences of their event.”

Sports are in the DNA in Oregon, and it’s easily apparent in its many professional and collegiate teams. But the Beaver State goes well beyond professional and collegiate sports. With its many venues and fields, Oregon has asserted itself as a natural playground for sports. “Our collaborative nature in Oregon sets us apart,” said Matt Reed of Director of Sports Tourism for Sport Oregon. “We love our state and want to share it with the world. A lot of folks around the country haven’t ventured out the Pacific Northwest, so once they’re here we want them to start exploring. The food. The wine. The Coast. The Mountains. It’s really an endless array of beauty and fun that we have in Oregon, and I really think that provides attendees and families with unique experiences outside the walls or fences of their event.”

Bend

Bend is nestled in the mountainous high desert of central Oregon. The city is best known for its abundance of scenic beauty and has been dubbed “the outdoor playground of the west.”

Hotel Rooms: 3259
Major Facilities:
  • Pine Nursery Park houses softball fields, soccer fields, and a disc golf course
  • Hooker Creek Event Center is a multipurpose indoor arena with 279,000 square feet under one roof
Contact:

Visit Bend, visitbend.com.

Corvallis

Corvallis’ combination of excellent sports facilities, sports heritage and quality accommodations make choosing an event site here simple. Tucked picturesquely in the heart of the Willamette Valley in Oregon—between the snow-capped Cascade Mountain Range and the ocean-hugging Coastal Range—Corvallis also offers a wide variety of activities.

Hotel Rooms: 957
Hotel tax rate: 13.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Benton County Fairgrounds hosts equestrian shows
  • Crystal Lake Sports Complex features 10 Little League baseball fields and 10 soccer fields that are also used for lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, rugby, and hurdling
  • Oregon State University offers 12 badminton courts, one baseball field, 15 basketball courts, six flag football fields, four football fields, three sand volleyball courts, five soccer fields, 10 tennis courts, one track and field facility, nine volleyball courts, and six wrestling mats
  • Osborn Aquatic Center houses four pools, including an Olympic-size 50-meter pool
  • Timberhill Tennis Club features six indoor and two outdoor courts
Contact:

Visit Corvallis, visitcorvallis.com.

Deschutes County

Deschutes County is located in central Oregon. The county features dozens of golf courses, miles of trails, a ski area, and dozens of alpine lakes.

Hotel Rooms: 7555
Hotel tax rate: ranges from 9 percent to 10.4 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center houses an NBA-size basketball court, two PRCA regulation rodeo arenas, an indoor arena football field and up to 16 sports fields
Contact:

Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, expo.deschutes.org.

Eugene

The Eugene region is a truly unique sporting and adventure destination. With the ocean, sand, mountains, lakes, rivers, and exceptional sporting venues, there’s a wealth of natural and traditional options.

Hotel Rooms: 5896
Major Facilities:
  • Matthew Knight Arena is a 420,000-square-foot venue ideal forbasketball
  • PK Park is a 4000-seatballpark
  • Jane Sanders Stadium is asoftball stadium
  • Pape Field hosts soccer and lacrosse
  • Moshofsky Center is a 117,000-square-foot indoor facility withturf or sport court and a four-lane 120-meter track
  • Bob Keefer Center for Sports and Recreation is a 97,000-square-foot multi-sport complex with indoorcourts and four lighted outdoor synthetic turf fields
  • Civic Park has four indoor hardwood courts, two outdoor courts, and a lighted 100,000-square-foot turffield
  • Willamalane Park Swim Centerhouses an eight-lane pool
Convention Center:

Lane Events Center offers several different facilities for sports.

Contact:

Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports, eugenecascadescoastsports.org.

Klamath

Klamath has over 300 days of sunshine a year, moderate temperatures, and four distinct seasons.

Hotel Rooms: 2056
Hotel tax rate: 9.8 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Kiger Stadium is a historic wood stadium
  • Steen Sports Park offers an indoor fieldhouse, 10,000-square-foot indoor baseball/softball facility, four outdoor baseball diamonds, four outdoor soccer fields, and a cross-country path
  • Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course Running Y Ranch Resort is home to the only Arnold Palmer designed course in Oregon
  • Bill Collier Community Ice Arena features one sheet of ice
Contact:

Discover Klamath, DiscoverKlamath.com.

Medford

Medford is located in the heart of the Rogue Valley and southern Oregon. The area offers premier recreation opportunities and sporting venues for the amateur, youth, and collegiate levels.

Hotel Rooms: 2581
Hotel tax rate: 12.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Slated to open in early 2023 is the new 90,000-square-foot Rogue Credit Union Community Complex
  • Lithia & Driveway Fields hosts baseball, softball, soccer, football, and rugby
  • Hill Whitewater Center houses a natural whitewater slalom course for rafting, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding
  • Prescott Park accommodates running, biking, and equestrian
Contact:

Travel Medford, southernoregonsports.com.

Salem

Salem is located in the beautiful Willamette Valley along the Willamette River. It’s easy to get to, just off Interstate 5, and is one hour from the Portland International Airport.

Hotel Rooms: 1900
Hotel tax rate: 12.54 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Wallace Marine Park Softball Complex includes five fields
  • The Oregon State Fairgrounds and Expo Center contains seven buildings, including The Pavilion, which has more than 30,000 square feet of floor space
  • Oregon State Fair and Expo Center hosts a variety of sports in its many facilities
  • NPJ Sports Complex features six volleyball courts and two basketball courts
Contact:

Travel Salem, TravelSalem.com.

Tualatin Valley

Centrally located in the Pacific Northwest, Tualatin Valley is a prime location for any regional or national competition. With mild, temperate weather during the year, playing conditions are ideal.

Hotel Rooms: 6085
Hotel tax rate: ranges from 13 percent to 14.5 percent
Major Facilities:
  • Howard M. Terpenning Recreation Complex boasts a 50-meter pool, 15 tennis courts, five multipurpose fields for soccer, football, lacrosse, five softball fields, two baseball fields, one roller hockey rink, two skate parks, four outdoor/six indoor basketball courts, and a 10-acre natural area with trails
  • Gordon Faber Recreation Complex has a 7000-seat multipurpose stadium, baseball stadium with a capacity of 4500, and six natural grass softball fields
Convention Center:

The new Wingspan Event and Conference Center features 40,000 square feet of flexible pillar-free space with 35-foot ceilings. The facility can host sports such as basketball, cheer, dance, martial arts, pickleball, volleyball,  and wrestling.

Contact:

Washington County Visitors Association, tualatinvalley.org.