Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will bring together 3,000 athletes from across the country to Minnesota's Twin Cities this June.
- The event features 16 Olympic-style sports across two main sites, with live broadcasts on ESPN+ and network specials scheduled throughout the week.
- A massive airlift operation will transport athletes to St. Paul Downtown Airport, followed by an Opening Ceremony under the lights at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Every four years, a national event comes along that reminds everyone why sports are so powerful. This June, that energy is taking over Minnesota's Twin Cities for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Running from June 20 to June 26, 2026, this event is the ultimate showcase of athletic competition and community spirit. The week highlights the power of inclusion and brings people together like nothing else.
For the thousands of Special Olympics athletes arriving from all 50 states (and Washington D.C. and other US territories), this week is the culmination of unparalleled dedication and hard work. These competitors are out on the field to prove what can be achieved when talent meets determination.
Whether you plan to pack the stands in Minnesota or watch from the comforts of your couch, this week will provide plenty of memorable moments. The 2026 USA Games are bringing together a staggering 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, and 10,000 volunteers. If you're ready to track the action, here's everything you need to know for the main event.
- What are the Special Olympics USA Games?
- What sports are in the Special Olympics USA Games?
- Special Olympics USA Games full schedule
- How can I watch the Special Olympics USA Games?
- What are Unified Sports?
What are the Special Olympics USA Games?
The USA Games represent the peak of national competition, taking place once every four years to bring together talent from across the country. This week-long event acts as a platform for people with intellectual disabilities to showcase their skills on a national scale.
By using the power of sports, Special Olympics breaks down social barriers and addresses isolation. It's an event where communities rally together to celebrate and honor the competitive strengths that every individual brings to the table.
For more detailed resources or to follow along during the week, you can head directly to the official digital hub at 2026usagames.org and track all the action on social media using the hashtag #CallingAllChampions.
What sports are in the Special Olympics USA Games?
The 2026 lineup is impressive. It features 16 different Olympic-style sports, offering everything from team sports to solo competition. The action is spread across multiple athletic hubs, with the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN serving as the two main sites for the games.
Here is the complete list of sports taking center stage, including two new highly anticipated events:
- Track and Field (Athletics)
- Basketball
- Bocce
- Bowling
- Competitive Cheer
- Flag Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Powerlifting
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Cornhole (Making its debut)
- Pickleball (Making its debut)
Special Olympics USA Games full schedule
The calendar couldn't be more loaded with matchups and fan events from morning till night. While individual sport brackets will be running all week long, these are the dates you need to circle on your calendar:
- Friday, June 19: Athlete arrivals officially begin. A massive transit effort gets underway through the St. Paul Downtown Airport (Holman Field) via Textron Aviation’s Special Olympics Airlift. More than 100 volunteer Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker corporate aircraft owners and pilots will touch down or depart roughly every three minutes to fly teams in from all over the country.
- Saturday, June 20: The Opening Ceremony officially kicks things off at 7:30 p.m. CST under the lights at Huntington Bank Stadium.
- Sunday, June 21 – Friday, June 26: Daily divisioning and medal rounds across all 16 sports.
- Tuesday, June 23 – Friday, June 26: Main live-broadcast window highlighting track, swimming, and powerlifting events.
- Thursday, June 25: The Unified Flag Football Gold Medal Game.
- Friday, June 26: Final championship showdowns followed by the official Closing Ceremony to wrap up the athletes' journeys.
How can I watch the Special Olympics USA Games?
If you can't make the trip to Minnesota, I feel for you ... but you can still catch all of the action from home. ESPN is handling the broadcast, providing nearly 50 hours of live streaming coverage alongside network television specials:
- The Opening Ceremony: Catch it live on Saturday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. CST streaming directly on ESPN+ and Disney+. The broadcast features musical sets from Jon Batiste and Demi Lovato. SportsCenter anchor Kevin Connors and features reporter Jen Lada host the main broadcast, joined by Jess Sims, former Paralympian Victoria Arlen, and contributing reporter Wyatt Spalding—a Special Olympics Nebraska Hall of Famer.
- Daily Live Streams: Fire up ESPN+ on the ESPN App from June 23 to June 26 for live look-ins, expert commentary, and play-by-play analysis across marquee events like athletics, swimming, powerlifting, and flag football.
- The Gold Medal Game: Tune in for ESPN's presentation of the NFL Network’s Flag Football Unified Game on June 25 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
- Network Television Specials: ABC has you covered with a two-hour Preview Show on Sunday, June 21 at 11:00 a.m. CST showing the best moments from the opening festivities, followed by a dedicated review program highlighting the best of the games on July 25 at 11:00 a.m. CST.
What are Unified Sports?
One of the core elements of the Special Olympics movement is the Unified Sports program. This initiative breaks down social barriers by putting Special Olympics athletes and partners who don't have intellectual disabilities on the same team, competing together.
They train together, map out game strategies together, and compete side-by-side. Unified Sports prove that once you step onto the field, everyone speaks the same language of teamwork, competitive spirit, and mutual respect. Some of the events at these games will feature both Unified and regular competition.
Why We Play features stories about the power of sports to bring us together, overcome obstacles, make positive change and reach everyone. Read more here.
Add us as a preferred source on Google