“Congratulations to our partners at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orange and Osceola Counties, Boardwalk Sports, and the WBCA on the announcement of the participating teams for the 2024 WBCA Showcase in Orlando...This tournament, featuring some of the top tier women’s NCAA Division I programs, is another in the long line of major events to be hosted at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. We look forward to welcoming the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and families to our community for what is sure to be an incredibly positive experience."



-Jason Siegel

President & CEO, Greater Orlando Sports Commission

Around The Horn.

• The Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced the teams that will compete in the 2024 WBCA Showcase taking place at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex later this year. Witness some of the top programs in the nation compete in a 8-team, 6-game, 3-day event on November 21, 23 & 24. GO Sports is proud to partner with WBCA and Boardwalk Sports.
• GO Sports board member BJ Taylor and Loyal Source CEO Brian Moore have created an initiative within the governmental services company to bring aboard former UCF athletes. Taylor is a former UCF basketball standout and Loyal Source's lead ambassador, working to build the connection between the firm and UCF's athletic department.
• The Lake Mary All-Stars won its first game in the 2024 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania this week! As one of only 20 teams from around the world to make the World Series, they defeated Midwest Champion Sioux Falls by a score of 2-1 to advance to the winner's bracket.
• After a historic start to the NWSL season, the Orlando Pride have reached a contract extension with head coach Seb Hines keeping him with the club through the 2026 season with an option for 2027. Hines has a 21-11-6 regular-season record since becoming the full-time head coach last season and currently has the Pride (11-0-5) undefeated and sitting atop the NWSL table.
• The Orlando Magic has released its full schedule for the upcoming 2024 NBA season! The Magic (47-35) finished as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last season, taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 of the quarterfinals before being eliminated. View the full schedule here.
• The Altamonte Baseball Academy has claimed the 2024 Cal Ripken 11U World Series Championship for the first time since its inception in 2015. The ABA All-Star team held an impressive 14-0 record before reaching the Ripken World Series, having outscored their opponents 149-13 and securing the District Championship, Florida State Championship, and the Southeast Regional Championship.
• The Athleta presents Gold Over America Tour (GOAT), starring Simone Biles and the best-of-the-best female and male competitors from the gymnastics world, will be leaping into 30 arenas around the US this fall with a high-flying and high-energy, gymnastics-meets-pop-concert spectacle. The GOAT show will be coming to Orlando's Kia Center for one show only on Saturday, October 12.
• Orlando City SC's run in the Leagues Cup ended last Friday with a penalty-shootout loss after a scoreless regulation against Liga MX side Cruz Azul. The Lions (9-7-9) now look ahead and prepare for the return of MLS play as they visit Sporting KC on Saturday, August 24 at 8:30pm.
• The Orlando Magic will kick off the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets on November 12. The Magic will also host the Philadelphia 76ers in a group stage match on November 15, and tickets for both games are currently on sale. The tournament, which will consist of two stages including group play and the knockout rounds, starts November 12 and will end with the title game on December 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
• The NFL Pro Bowl Games is returning to Orlando in 2025! The multi-day AFC vs. NFC event will feature 88 of the NFL's top players as they show off their on-field and off-field skills in unique competitions and compete in action-packed flag football at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.

GO Sports is proud to announce five award winners that will be honored during the 2024 Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. Congratulations to Tiffany, Angela, Joanne, Grace and Pennie!

If you haven't purchased your table for 2024, reach out to Michael or Chase on our team today and join us to celebrate this year's class of award winners (announced at a later date) and hear from our 2024 featured speaker, Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA Analyst for ESPN and ABC, Doris Burke. For more information, visit https://greaterorlandosports.com/celebrating-women-in-sports/

Michael Kalinich - michael@greaterorlandosports.com

Chase DeMayo - cdemayo@greaterorlandosports.com

The Orlando Magic has released its full schedule for the upcoming 2024 NBA season! The Magic (47-35) finished as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last season, taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

View the full schedule here.

The 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival hosted in Orlando earlier this year has been nominated by the readers of SportsTravel as a finalist for Best Collegiate Sports Event in the 2024 SportsTravel Awards! Voting is open through August 19, 2024, click here to vote now!

In The News.

• The Hyatt Regency Orlando, one of the region's largest convention hotels, has been sold for $1.02 billion to Los-Angeles based Ares Management and Houston-based Rida Development - the nation's largest hotel deal of the year. The sale of the 1,641-room hotel located on International Drive comes out to nearly $622,000 per guest room, and the structured deal has Hyatt retaining a financial stake in the business.
• Famous Norwegian DJ and music producer Kygo is bringing an upscale entertainment venue to Pointe Orlando on International Drive. The venue, named the Palm Tree Club Orlando, will be two stories with a restaurant downstairs and a club and open-air rooftop lounge above. The 11,000-square-foot space will be tropical-themed, with views of the surrounding I-Drive corridor and seating areas that can transition into a dance floor.
• Orlando Health has made a stalking horse bid for Steward Health Care's East Central Florida operations. The Orlando-based healthcare provider signed a binding asset purchase agreement for three medical centers, but higher or better-qualified bids from others can still be received until August 26. If Orlando Health wins the bid, the sale would be subject to closing conditions and is expected to close in fourth-quarter 2024.
• A new padel facility is proposed near downtown Orlando and will be brought in front of the city's municipal planning board on September 17. Orlando Padel Experience would include eight outdoor courts for the sport and use an existing 3,455-square-foot building for locker rooms, a restaurant with beer and wine, and a store. The facility would seek to host 15-20 tournaments per year.
• The City of Longwood may get a multimodal hub for its SunRail station, in addition to more parking and pedestrian improvements as part of its long-term transportation plan. City leaders on August 5 approved updates to Longwood's Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan, a long-range vision which includes more than 40 projects at a cost of $9.4 million.
• U.S. Rep. Darren Soto announced the Water Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act Loan earlier this week, which will cover projects that affect nearly 450,000 residents in Osceola and Polk counties. The Toho Water Authority's work to upgrade water infrastructure in the two counties will create roughly 1,750 jobs, thanks to a new $188.3 million loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Join the Orlando Pride at Inter&Co Stadium on Sunday, September 1st at 6:00pm to welcome back seven players from the 2024 Paris Olympics and cheer on the NWSL's top team! Purchase your tickets through the link below and receive a special discount off the single match rate.

A stellar mix of athletes, coaches and support team members has been tapped for induction into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The eight-member class represents six different sports and includes a seven-time NBA All-Star, a Super Bowl winner, women’s World Cup champion, a 14-time NCAA Track & Field Championship Coach, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, a four-time national champion cheerleading coach and the first-ever athletic trainer. The eight will be inducted in a star-studded ceremony to be held at the Kia Center in Orlando on October 16.

Stay Engaged.

• Walt Disney World revealed last Saturday that a new 'Villain's Land' will be built at its Magic Kingdom theme park. The bad-guy expansion will feature two new attractions as well as dining and shopping options, but no timeframe for construction was announced. In other Magic Kingdom developments, the park will add two "Cars" attractions to Frontierland as well as a new nighttime parade called "Disney Starlight."
• Universal Orlando has shared its plans for the new Harry Potter land at Epic Universe theme park that will feature a Ministry of Magic-based ride, a full-scale theater experience and characters roaming the streets of 1920s Place Cachee. This is now the fifth Epic land to be detailed by Universal, and it will have Parisian settings based on the "Fantastic Beasts" film and British elements from the "Potter" franchise created by author J.K. Rowling.
• SeaWorld Orlando has released its entire lineup of haunted houses and scare zones of the upcoming Howl-O-Scream, the after-hours, extra-ticket Halloween scare fest. The event, which begins on September 6, will feature five houses - four of which are new concepts - and seven scare zones alongside five Halloween-themed bars. An unlimited admission ticket is now selling for $109.99, and one-night tickets vary in price by date.
• Join CityArts and the Downtown Arts District on Saturday, August 17 for its 'Art After Dark' fundraiser event from 7:00pm - 10:00pm! Guests can enjoy interactive art experiences, meet & greet opportunities with special guest artists, live music, a raffle, whiskey and beer tastings, and gourmet lite bites from local restaurants.
• Do you work downtown? Join the Downtown Orlando Partnership from September 9-12 for its inaugural Downtown Employee Appreciation Week presented by the Downtown Development Board! The free come-and-go event will reward downtown Orlando’s dedicated workforce with a fun-filled week of incentives, daily giveaways, live music, employee discounts and more.
• Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the 2024 Paris Olympics last week, pictured in the Olympic Family Lounge with Stefanie Korepin (USA Gymnastics), Morinari Watanabe (World Gymnastics) and Li Li Leung (USA Gymnastics).

GO Sports Associate VP Chase DeMayo and Manager Nolan McDonald attended the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Associate VP Chase DeMayo hosted board members for lunch earlier this week, pictured with Dylan Tell (Orlando Solar Bears), Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City/Orlando Pride), Bart Kendall (Sports Consulting) and Michael Forde (Orlando Magic).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel presented to the Private Business Association of Seminole County earlier this week at Heathrow Country Club.

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partner, Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista! For more information, click the logo above.

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Orange County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Seminole County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Osceola County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Lake County Things To Do