State Spotlight:
South Dakota

There are many reasons why you’ll want your next sporting event to be in South Dakota. The Mount Rushmore State offers some of the most top-tier event centers, fields, and facilities around, not to mention so much to do after the whistle blows. “When you’re not watching the event, there are iconic monuments and hidden gems awaiting your discovery, from Crazy Horse Memorial (the largest in-progress sculpture in the world), Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands in the west to National Music Museum (Vermillion) and the quartzite formations of Palisades State Park in the east,” said Austin Kaus of the South Dakota Department of Tourism. “No matter your event or reason to travel, you’ll quickly find out why South Dakota is the land of Great Faces, Great Places.”

State Spotlight:
South Dakota

There are many reasons why you’ll want your next sporting event to be in South Dakota. The Mount Rushmore State offers some of the most top-tier event centers, fields, and facilities around, not to mention so much to do after the whistle blows. “When you’re not watching the event, there are iconic monuments and hidden gems awaiting your discovery, from Crazy Horse Memorial (the largest in-progress sculpture in the world), Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands in the west to National Music Museum (Vermillion) and the quartzite formations of Palisades State Park in the east,” said Austin Kaus of the South Dakota Department of Tourism. “No matter your event or reason to travel, you’ll quickly find out why South Dakota is the land of Great Faces, Great Places.”

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is centrally located between North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, making it an ideal location for sporting events in the region.

Hotel Rooms: 970
Major Facilities:
  • Matchbox Sport Recreation Center hosts volleyball, indoor soccer, and pickleball
  • Moccasin Creek Sports Complex is a multiplex outdoor facility featuring soccer and softball fields
  • Odde Ice Arena houses an ice rink
Contact:

Aberdeen Area CVB, VisitAberdeenSD.com.

Huron

Huron is in east-central South Dakota. The small town offers great facilities.

Hotel Rooms: 360
Major Facilities:
  • Huron Arena boasts 15,000 square feet of multi-use space
  • Kunhart Field Softball Complex houses six softball diamonds
  • Mt Dew Softball Complex has four softball fields
  • Roger Kasa Baseball Complex features six baseball fields
  • Memorial Baseball Field is a 1500-seat park
Convention Center:

Huron Event Center provides more than 34,000 square feet of space and hosts sports such as basketball and volleyball.

Contact:

Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau, huronsd.com.

Rapid City

Rapid City is situated on South Dakota’s Black Hills. The city offers major advantages such as exceptional athletic venues, group-friendly lodging and an abundance of things to experience off the fields.

Hotel Rooms: 4500
Major Facilities:
  • Dakota Fields offers 12 full-size fields
  • Central States Fairgrounds encompasses 45 acres of versatile space offering a large outdoor arena
  • Star of the West Complex has eight softball fields and seven lacrosse fields
  • Parkview Sports Complex includes six softball fields and 12 tennis courts
Convention Center:

The Rushmore Plaza Civic Center is a 250,000-square foot venue that hosts basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, hockey and wrestling.

Contact:

Visit Rapid City, visitrapidcity.com.

Sioux Falls

South Dakota’s largest city is a mecca for sports events, from youth to collegiate and professional. Conveniently located in the Midwest, the city continues to add new sports venues and develop premier sports complexes with lodging, dining, retail, and fan experiences.

Hotel Rooms: 5358
Hotel tax rate: 9.5 percent plus $2 per room, per night
Major Facilities:
  • Denny Sanford PREMIER Center is a 12,000-seat multipurpose indoor venue
  • Sioux Falls Stadium is a 4500-seat ballpark Howard Wood Field is a 10,000-seat facility with two football fields or one soccer field and a 400-meter track
  • Sanford Sports Complex has nearly 500 acres and accommodates basketball, football, baseball, softball, hockey, tennis, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, and more
  • Scheels Iceplex offers three sheets of ice
Contact:

Experience Sioux Falls, ExperienceSiouxFalls.com.

Watertown

As South Dakota’s fifth largest city, Watertown has more multipurpose space, ball fields, and holes of golf than almost any market its size. However it’s biggest asset is its people.

Hotel Rooms: 902
Major Facilities:
  • Prairie Lakes Wellness Center has five basketball courts in two separate gyms
  • Premier Softball Complex includes five fields
  • Koch Complex features seven lighted fields
  • Anza Soccer Complex boasts two full-size soccer fields
  • Foundation Fields has four baseball fields
Contact:

Watertown CVB, visitwatertownsd.com.