Latest News
Shah repeats as Central Florida Spelling Bee champion
Dhurrie - a heavy cotton rug from India - was the winning word for Dev Shah, the first repeat Central Florida Spelling Bee Champion. It only took 18 rounds spanning five hours to do it. Encompassing more than a third of the counties in Florida, the third annual...
Olympians return to Florida Southern College
A collection of the greatest athletes from the United States to play softball took to the fields at Florida Southern College once again to continue their COVID-paused quest for Olympic glory in Tokyo. USA Softball’s National Women’s Team (NWT) – the same women that...
Flag football is a big score for Polk County
More than 420 teams filled up 18 fields in two different parks, generating not only more than $10 million in economic impact, providing a powerful shot in the arm for the Polk County economy. Dubbed the United Flag Football League National Championships, the three day...
SSE Committee Public Meeting Notice
Due to COVID-19, we ask that non-committee members attend this month's Sports & Special Events committee meeting via Zoom if possible. BOARD: Sports & Special Events Committee, Tourist Development Council of Polk County, Florida DATE AND TIME OF MEETING: Jan...
Lane wins Bernie Little Sports Executive Award
Some athletes give back to their sport. Many give back to their community. Bobby Lane does both – at the same time. For his efforts, Lane recently received the Bernie Little Sports Executive Award. Voted on by a committee comprised of sports legends and local...
In Memoriam: Ken Riley
Ken Riley, whose journey from Union Academy to the NFL and the halls of academia would inspire countless other Polk County athletes, passed away Sunday morning. He was 72. While Riley’s success on the field as both an athlete and later as the head coach of Florida...
We’ll Be Here
A message from the director of Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, Mark Jackson
Grand National Hydros coming to Orange Cup Regatta
Move over snake orgy, the Grand National Hydros are coming. Larger, faster and more powerful than any boat recently on Lake Hollingsworth, the Grand National Hydroplanes are the latest addition to 82nd Annual Orange Cup Regatta, the start of the American Powerboat...
The Florida road to basketball riches runs through Polk
Polk State College will host The Basketball Tournament's Florida regional WINTER HAVEN - The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the 64-team, $2 million winner-take-all event televised live on ESPN, today announced plans to bring one of their TBT 2020 regionals to Polk State...
RussMatt 2020 kicks off with Winter Haven NCAA D-I clash
WINTER HAVEN – Notching its ninth 30-plus win season in its 150-year history, two top NCAA Division I teams, the Boston College Eagles and Northern Illinois University Huskies, will compete at historic Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven to kick off the 2020 RussMatt...