Colorado Springs to Host World Lacrosse Sixes Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, USA – World Lacrosse and the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation today announced that Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, has been selected to host the 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships, the sport’s primary qualifier for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

The global event will take place October 4-10, 2027, at Weidner Field, the award-winning home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. It will feature 16 men's and 16 women's national teams representing World Lacrosse's four continental regions – Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Pan-America.

The event carries unprecedented significance, with five of the six Olympic places in both the men's and women's competitions to be secured in Colorado Springs. Only one remaining berth per gender will be awarded through a final qualification tournament ahead of the Games.

As the first World Lacrosse championship in the sixes discipline, the event represents another landmark in the sport's Olympic journey as lacrosse prepares for its return to the Olympic Games at LA28 for the first time in more than a century.

Colorado Springs, known globally as Olympic City USA, is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, more than 50 National Sport Organizations, a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, making it a fitting destination for one of the world's most significant Olympic qualification events.

The championship is expected to draw the world's top sixes athletes, coaches, officials and fans to the city while showcasing the fast-paced, high-scoring discipline that will debut at LA28.

World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said: "Few places in the world embody the Olympic spirit like Colorado Springs. As we prepare for lacrosse's return to the Olympic Games in 2028, it is only fitting that the first-ever sixes championships and our primary Olympic qualifier will take place in Olympic City USA. This championship will determine the majority of the Olympic field and will be one of the defining moments in our sport's modern history.

"Colorado Springs also offers a passionate and rapidly growing lacrosse community. From thriving youth and high school programs to collegiate competition and a vibrant Rocky Mountain lacrosse culture, this region has become one of the sport's strongest emerging markets. We are excited to partner with the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the City of Colorado Springs and Switchbacks FC to deliver an unforgettable championship."

The 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships will become the first major Olympic qualification event to be hosted in Colorado Springs in recent history, reinforcing the city's role as a global destination for elite international sport.

Megan Leatham, president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, said: "We are incredibly proud to partner with World Lacrosse to bring this historic championship to Colorado Springs. Hosting the first-ever WL Sixes Championship and welcoming the world's best teams as they compete for places in the Olympic Games is exactly the type of transformational event that reflects who we are as Olympic City USA. This championship will generate tremendous economic impact while introducing thousands of athletes and visitors to our community, our hospitality and our passion for sport."

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said: "This is a landmark moment for Colorado Springs and for the Olympic Movement in our city. As Olympic City USA, we are honored to welcome the world's best lacrosse athletes for the first-ever sixes world championships and one of the most important Olympic qualification events on the road to Los Angeles 2028. Our community has a long tradition of embracing international sport, and we look forward to welcoming athletes and visitors from around the globe to experience everything Colorado Springs has to offer."

The event also represents one of the most significant international sporting competitions ever staged at Weidner Field, which opened in 2021 and has quickly established itself as a premier venue in the United States.

Switchbacks FC President Brad Estes said: "We are thrilled to welcome World Lacrosse to Weidner Field. Since opening in 2021, the vision has been for Weidner Field to host world-class sporting events that inspire our community and showcase Colorado Springs on the international stage. The speed, athleticism and excitement of sixes lacrosse will create an incredible atmosphere, and we look forward to seeing fans from around the world fill our stadium."

The championship will feature 32 national teams competing over seven days, with Olympic qualification, world championship medals and international pride all on the line. Every match will be played at Weidner Field and broadcast globally as the world's best lacrosse nations begin the final stretch of the road to LA28.