Sports Expansion in Lincoln

If you build it, they will come.

The competition to bring events, tournament and other sporting related activities remains at an all-time high across the country. The latest amenities for players, spectators and others involved can sometimes make or break the decision whether a community ultimately hosts one of these events.

It is so important to provide venues for not only competitions, but in some cases for the everyday use by those in our city. We are fortunate that we have many willing partners to make those investments for our venues in Lincoln. While the venues themselves are important to host, we cannot forget the incredible passion and commitment our people have made to these events through their attendance and interest.

Just last week, Sun Valley Lanes announced a $4 million expansion project that will see a variety of improvements and renovations to its location on Victory Lane, including the addition of laser tag, mini-golf and sand volleyball space. As a world-class bowling facility, Sun Valley Lanes has already been a huge attraction in the bowling community for years. They have hosted Nebraska state championship events, the 2012, 2013 and 2018 Intercollegiate team and singles championships, the 2016 World Youth Championships and the upcoming PBA U.S. Open in February 2020, among others.

Thanks to the leadership of John Losito, Sun Valley Lanes is a destination in the bowling community and helps Lincoln stand out. Their success helps us attract other events and contribute to our great reputation in several other arenas. 

Those events start at the youth level and continue up to professional. They truly run the gamut when it comes to audiences, ranging from soccer tournaments, racing events, high school state championships and the Special Olympics, just to name a few. Once the events are in place, it’s the job of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau to make sure all of them get the very best services and go above and beyond to produce high quality events for everyone involved.

Youth sports continue to be a big hit in Lincoln, which is reflected in the commitment from our venues. The addition of the Lincoln Sports Complex in 2020 will provide not only more basketball and volleyball courts and space for athletes, but the ability to host tournaments and bring visitors to Lincoln. As interest in a variety of sports continues to expand, we are thrilled to see so many venues receiving more investment and more support in the community. We want to keep the ball rolling towards additional facilities and more opportunities to bring people to Lincoln.

The people and organizations committed to sports at all levels in Lincoln continue to help make the job of our CVB an easy one. We thank them for their efforts and are excited for what’s to come.