York County has an exciting lineup of sports you won’t want to miss, from high-speed thrills to unique events you won’t see anywhere else. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just in it for the experience, here are the top 10 must-see sporting events that York County has hosted that make this region a standout destination for spectators and athletes alike.
1. ACL World Championship
Venue: Rock Hill Sports & Events Center
Dates: Happening annually during the 1st week of August
Attendance: 18,573 (2024)
Hosted by Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism in partnership with Visit York County, the ACL World Championships each year premiere on ESPN the first week of August at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center. Similar to Disc Golf, The ACL HQ & manufacturing plant are located here in Rock Hill / York County and the sport of Cornhole has taken off in popularity since 2020 (Covid). The ACL World Championship continues to be one of the premier events hosted each year in Rock Hill that attracts amateurs and professionals alike from all over the USA.
2. No Room For Racism Classic
Venue: Rock Hill Sports & Events Center
Dates: December 10th-12th, 2021
Attendance: 1,210 (2021)
Created by Visit York County as a men's college basketball event that headlined with The University of South Carolina vs Florida State University. Hosted at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, and featured on ESPN
3. UCI BMX Racing World Championships
Venue: Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track
Dates: May 9th-18th, 2024
Attendance: 57,700 (2024)
Hosted by Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism in partnership with Visit York County, the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Championships were hosted at the Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track as the last qualifying event for BMX at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics that featured competitors from over 15 different countries across the globe. This event is a standout simply because of the global importance, along with the competitors being in Rock Hill / York County anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to practice the track and prepare for the competition. Previously, the event has been hosted by Tokyo, Japan; Glasgow, Scotland; Zolder, Belgium; Nantes, France; and other locations across the world. The ability to host an event of this magnitude speaks to the ability of both Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism & Visit York County to present Rock Hill as a competing destination to those mentioned previously.
4. NCAA Division I Southeast Regionals
Venue: Winthrop Farm at Winthrop University
Date: November 15th, 2024
Attendance: 4,149 (2024)
Hosted at & in partnership with Winthrop University, featuring 50+ NCAA Division I cross country teams for a chance to advance to the 2024 NCAA Cross Country National Championships. The event featured 9 teams (5 men, 4 women) ranked in the top 25 rankings of the country.
5. United States Disc Golf Championship
Venue: Winthrop University Disc Golf Course
Dates: Happening annually during the 1st week of October
Attendance: 3,337 (2024)
Hosted in Rock Hill / York County for the last 26 years, and has exploded in popularity since 2020 (Covid). Competitors & fans attend both nationally & internationally via US Disc Golf (Innova). Winthrop University continues to host this event each year in partnership with Visit York County & Innova, which is headquartered right here in York County. The bamboo hole is world famous for its hole design and helps show the world that Rock Hill / York County is the home and one of the origins of the sport of disc golf.
6. Football University Top Gun
Venue: South Pointe High School
Dates: July 11th-14th, 2019
Attendance: 2,953 (2019)
Hosted by Visit York County at South Pointe High School which featured both middle school & high school football. This event welcomed the idea of being hosted in "Football City USA" because of Rock Hill's nationwide lead on NFL players produced per capita in the United States.
7. ESPN the Ocho
Venue: Manchester Meadows and Rock Hill Sports & Events Center
Dates: Happening annually during the 1st week of August
Attendance: 4,382 (2024)
Hosted by Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism out at Manchester Meadows and the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, ESPN The Ocho hosted many different niche sports that are recorded live for 24 hours straight, bouncing between the different sports at the top of every hour. The event ran alongside ESPN's coverage of the American Cornhole League World Championships on ESPN, and featured sports such as air guitar, pillow fighting, kickball, darts, breakdancing, omegaball, and much more. These recordings are shown throughout the year as reruns on ESPN 2, which is a huge boost for our destination to be featured nationally year-round.
8. USATF Junior Olympics Region 4 Championships
Venue: Winthrop University
Dates: July 7th-10th, 2022
Attendance: 6,791 (2024)
Hosted at Winthrop University, featuring young athletes from USATF's Region 4 (SC, GA, FL). Teams/individuals compete for a chance to qualify for the USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships
9. Adidas 3SSB
Venue: Rock Hill Sports & Events Center
Dates: Happening annually during the 2nd - 3rd weeks of July
Attendance: 25,582 (2024)
Hosted in partnership with Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism, which brings in both boys and girls Adidas-sponsored teams, along with college coaches from all over the country
10. Major League Fishing Cup Series
Venue: Ebenezer Park
Dates: September 25th-26th, 2021
Attendance: 225 (2021)
Hosted by Visit York County out at Ebenezer Park, which featured some of the best bass anglers fishing on Lake Wylie and was featured on ESPN & The Discovery Channel.
Looking for a place to host your next event and need help? Contact Jordan McCraw at jmccraw@visityorkcounty.com or 803.517.0290