State Games First Weekend Set
Lincoln, Neb (July 8, 2026) – Competition begins Thursday, July 9, as the 2026 Cornhusker State Games kicks off its first weekend with 40 sports and thousands of athletes competing at venues across Nebraska. Opening-day competition will feature Pickleball at Midwest Pickleball Club in Papillion and Youth Golf at Hidden Valley Golf Course in Lincoln, an event held in partnership with the Nebraska Junior Golf Tour.
More than 7,000 athletes are currently registered for this year’s Games, with participation expected to continue growing as registration remains open for select sports. Registration information and the complete list of available events can found at CornhuskerStateGames.com.
The 2026 Cornhusker State Games has already set participation records in six sports: Fencing, Adult 2-Person Best Ball, Pickleball, Youth Golf, Miniature Golf and Steel Challenge Shooting.
Pickleball continues to be one of the Games’ fastest-growing sports, drawing more than 400 participants for competition Thursday through Sunday at the Midwest Pickleball Club.
Shooting sports continue to expand at the Cornhusker State Games as the use of Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island has created opportunities to add new competitions, including USPSA Shooting and PCSL Rifle. These events join a diverse lineup that also features Trap, Sporting Clays, Pistol Shooting and more.
Also on this weekend’s schedule are Adult Volleyball, Bowling, Gymnastics, Pocket Billiards, Adult Basketball, Road Race and Triathlon. With many more events still on the schedule, the first weekend is only a glimpse of the excitement still to come. If you’re interested in watching sports you can check out the CSG composite schedule here.
The 2026 Cornhusker State Games is a signature program of the Nebraska Sports Council and serves as a qualifying event for the State Games of America, which will be held in State College, Pennsylvania July 24 – August 2, 2026. The Games are proudly supported by Platinum partners including FMNE Insurance, Nebraska Orthopaedic Center, Pepsi-Cola of Lincoln and Grand Island Tourism. For more information, visit CornhuskerStateGames.com.