Jackson named host of State Games of Tennessee

JACKSON, Tenn. – Jackson has been named the host city for the State Games of Tennessee.

This comes after an announcement made Thursday, set to take effect in June 2025.  

This has been made possible by the collaboration of efforts put in from the Tennessee Department of Tourists Development, Jackson-Madison County, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, West Tennessee Healthcare, and Visit Jackson, TN.

The State Games is an annual multi-sport event modeled after the Olympic games, but held solely for residents of Tennessee. 

Chamber President Kyle Spurgeon shared how Jackson will support the sporting events. 

“This is not just an event, this is a community project. We involve the entire community from public parks, schools to businesses. Something that is very unique about this is parks enhancement. We are going to, as a community, focus on upgrading parks to support these sporting events. This not only benefits the games, but it leaves a legacy on our community,” Spurgeon said.

The State Games of Tennessee will feature up to 15 sports.

A news release says that the inaugural State Games of Tennessee, scheduled for the first and second weekends of June 2025, will feature up to 15 sports, including softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, pickleball, disc golf, wedge golf, cross country, trail run and tennis.

The release says gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three athletes or teams in each division across all sports.

Officials say the number of athletes participating in the games ranges from 3,000 to 12,000, and the financial impact for the host city is from three to 12 million dollars.

“What we see is that they come with their family, they come with their friends, and they spend money. They cause jobs to be created by staying in hotels, by spending money in restaurants. That creates tax revenue that benefits the residents of Jackson, or Madison County, or the State of Tennessee. And that’s when it’s a real big economic win for the development of this community,” said Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell.

Similar to the tradition of the Olympic games, the state games will have an opening ceremony featuring a parade of athletes, live entertainment, and the lighting of the torch.

You can find more news from across the state here.