During the past three decades, Orange County has grown from a quiet, little-known rural town to a thriving, world-renowned metropolis with more than 1,000,000 residents. The county offers not only a rejuvenated downtown area, but also beautiful parks and recreational areas for outdoor sports of all kind.
Orange County offers the sports visitor the perfect setting for any competition. It’s state of the art facilities, affordable and abundant accommodation options, world renowned attractions and easily accessible airport combine to offer a formula for success that will lend itself to the opportunity to stage the most memorable of sports related events and activities.
International, national, and regional events including the U.S. Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships, U.S. Volleyball Junior Olympics, NCAA Men’s Basketball 1st/2nd Round Games, World Cup and Olympic Soccer, Champs and Capital One Bowl Games, FHSAA Football Finals, WrestleMania 24 and the Sports Commission’s own unique Celebrity Mascot Games, have found perfect home in Orange County.
Orange County and the City of Orlando have embarked on a historic journey to punctuate Central Florida’s status as a world-class community by leading the charge to build new state-of-the-art venues. In 2007, led by then Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, our community set into motion a plan to build the Amway Center, Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center and to renovate the Florida Citrus Bowl. The new Amway Center opened in the fall of 2010. Construction of the Performing Arts Center is currently underway and the renovated Citrus Bowl is soon to follow.
>> Visit the Official City of Orlando Website
>> Visit the Official Orange County Website
Orange County Sports Facilities:
Amway Center
The Amway Center is the nation’s premiere event center facility. Opened in the fall of 2010, this 750,000 square foot, state of the art facility seats up to 20,000 fans and includes more than 60 suites. Technologically, the Amway Center is one of the most advanced ever built, highlighted by the main scoreboard – the largest of its kind in any NBA building. The Amway Center has already hosted several major sports & entertainment events, and is scheduled to host the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. In June of 2011, ESPN The Magazine ranked the Amway Center tops in the NBA, and 5th in all pro sports, in overall stadium experience.
AOrange County Convention Center
This venue has been utilized by numerous sports’ national governing bodies and is the 2nd largest meeting/competition facilities in the country, boasting over 2.2 million square feet of meeting space. The Orange County Convention Center recently served as the host site for the 1996, 1998 and 2003 U.S. Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships, each attracting approximately 5,000 athletes and 10,000 spectators.
Florida Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl comfortably seats 70,000 spectators and is home to the Capital One Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl. The venue also served as a host site for the 1994 World Cup and 1996 Olympic soccer competitions – first and second rounds, along with WrestleMania XXIV.
Bright House Stadium
The nation’s newest college facility, Bright House Stadium, rests in the heart of the University of Central Florida’s campus. Home of the UCF Knights football team, the stadium seats over 45,000.
UCF Arena
Located in the heart of Knights Plaza, is the new UCF Arena, home of UCF’s women’s and men’s basketball program. The University of Central Florida Arena seats over 10,000 and opened in the Fall of 2007.