A Note from CEO Jim Etzel

With another banner year of sports in our state drawing to a close, it is my pleasure to write to you today on behalf of the entire team at Sport Oregon, wishing you a Happy Holiday season and all the best in the New Year. Together, we continue to accomplish great things for Oregon, and we are extremely grateful for everyone’s support and partnership in helping drive economic and positive social impact in our state once again in 2023.

At Sport Oregon, we are extremely fortunate to have the support of an engaged board of directors, a talented and enterprising staff and an ever-growing network of like-minded partners that make all the important work we do possible. We all share an unapologetic love of Oregon, and we are truly grateful for everyone’s ongoing efforts to make our state even better. Together, we understand that a thriving sports tourism environment is crucial to the well-being of Oregon.  

This year, we saluted outgoing board president Chris Van Wagner for her exceptional guidance during her recently concluded term, and welcomed new board president Jim Carideo, in addition to a new slate of officers and executive board members. Simply put, our board of directors plays a massive role in guiding the strategic direction, financial health and the community role of Sport Oregon.

Additionally, we were excited to welcome a host of new staff members to our Sport Oregon team in 2023, including Kristin Spear (Director of Strategic Partnerships), Natasha Reyes (Sports Tourism Services Manager), Kiki Zeise (Events Manager) and Anita Moreno (Executive Assistant, Member Relations Manager). We experienced encouraging growth across the board in 2023, and our experienced and growing team plays a crucial role in our continued success as an organization.

Once again in 2023, our flagship initiative SHE FLIES continued to take flight in just its second full year. The initiative continued to grow and expand its important work to connect girls and women to sports participation and communities in Oregon. As a testament to this growth – and thanks largely to a generous contribution from Alaska Airlines – Sport Oregon delivered on its promise to award substantially more funding through its SHE FLIES Community Grant program. This year, SHE FLIES awarded over $117,000 in total funds to eight deserving non-profits in Oregon.

As we put a bow on 2023, we look back with a great sense of accomplishment at the year that was in Oregon sports, and the resulting impact the many events and attractions had on our state. It, once again, was a year rich with rewards, and there is a tangible sense of excitement as we look ahead to all the developments that lie ahead in 2024 and beyond.

It was a remarkable year for events in our state in 2023. Look no further than Portland International Raceway (PIR), which continues to be a key venue for attracting major events to Oregon. In 2023, working with our partners at Green Savoree Racing, Portland continued to be an emerging destination for motorsports, as we welcomed the state’s first-ever FIA Formula E race in June. This addition made PIR the only track in the world to host these three major circuit races, as Portland once again welcomed the NASCAR Xfinity Series in June and the NTT INDYCAR Series in September.

Active sports fans and participants were treated to another banner year, as the USATF Championships were held at Hayward Field in Eugene in July, and the IRONMAN 70.3 OREGON was once again staged in Salem in July. Area golf enthusiasts were treated to the U.S. Women’s Senior Open Championship at Waverly Country Club in August and the LPGA Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater over Labor Day weekend.

Throughout the year, we welcomed a wide range of additional events that helped drive impact for Oregon, including the HoopSource Presidents’ Day Basketball tournament (February), the USA Taekwondo Western Grand Prix (May), the Triple Crown Valley Invite (June), the Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo (June), the National Gay Basketball Association Championships (June), National Veterans Wheelchair Games (July), and the Ladies Ball Western Regional (August).

In terms of professional team sports, we welcomed the addition of the Rip City Remix, an NBA G League development team for the Portland Trail Blazers, and we continue to support the ongoing efforts to bring WNBA and MLB to Portland.

Here at Sport Oregon, we were thrilled to host our first Big Swing Golf Tournament powered by PNC. The inaugural event, held in September, was a resounding success and raised over $70,000 for our organization while offering an elevated golf experience for our many members, partners and like-minded organizations.

At our Sport Oregon offices, this year we dedicated a large area of our space as the Len Bergstein Clubhouse. The space, which honors the late Bergstein for his longtime support of Sport Oregon as a founding board member, serves as an asset to our community partners and related events.

For a complete rundown of all the many great programs, events and achievements from the past year, be sure to check out our annual report.

While we celebrate the many achievements of 2023, we remain hard at work and eagerly look forward to a host of marquee events in the coming year.

In April, Sport Oregon is teaming up with Travel Portland and the Oregon Convention Center to host the Sports ETA Symposium, an annual meeting of the Sports Events & Tourism Association. The event is expected to attract upwards of 1,000 attendees, with an estimated 3,000-plus room nights being occupied over the course of the event that matches sports destinations and event decision-makers responsible for producing various sporting events.

The Sports ETA Symposium will be held on the heels of the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament Regional, which will be held at Moda Center from March 29-April 1. Portland will send two teams to the Women’s Final Four in Cleveland.

Sports fans will want to make sure to circle June on their calendars, too, as the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track & field will be held at Eugene’s Hayward Field from June 21-30, and Formula E makes its return to PIR June 29-30.

On May 10, we will be hosting our annual Fuel the Future fundraising event, which will be held at the Multnomah Athletic Club to benefit the Sport Oregon Foundation and our SHE FLIES initiative. Also in 2024, we will continue supporting redevelopment plans to transform the Expo Center into a sports-focused facility.

At Sport Oregon, we are so fortunate to have such tremendous support in all that we do. Ultimately, sports provide our state with so much. They bond us, entertain us, rally us, encourage us and improve our quality of life in so many ways. This time of year, in particular, we are honored to express our gratitude for everyone’s support of Sport Oregon, and we wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!