Columbia to host 2015-16 US Quidditch Cup

Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, South Carolina will be the site of the US Quidditch Cup 9, formerly known as World Cup. Columbia was chosen over the other finalist Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Photo by Jessica Jiamin Lang Photography

This marks the fourth straight national championship held in the South Region and third consecutive time the state of South Carolina hosts the tournament following World Cup VII in North Myrtle Beach and World Cup 8 in Rock Hill. The tournament will take place on April 16-17.

The finalists were announced in May, and over the past two months, USQ Events Director Sarah Woolsey and Assistant Events Director Mary Kimball have visited each of the sites in making their selection.

“Hosting nationals in Columbia will allow us to put on a championship event that highlights the high level of competition that our top teams have to offer,” Sarah Woolsey, USQ’s Events Director, said in an announcement on the USQ website. “The South Carolina Sports Alliance has demonstrated a deep commitment to quidditch, which is reflected in Columbia’s bid.”

“We look forward to working with the exceptional teams [of] US Quidditch and Saluda Shoals Park [to put on] on another successful and fun Cup,” said Grayson Hopp, Sales Manager for Columbia Regional Sports Council in a statement released on the USQ website.

The event will be hosted on the Palmetto Health Fields and will be the first national event to take place in that location.

Courtesy of Kym Couch, some of the features of Columbia’s bid include,

• All grass fields with lighting
• Permanent facilities including concession stands, bathrooms, and indoor meeting spaces.
• Healthy food options from on-site vendors and local food trucks.
• Hotels close to the field
• Proposed team village site that is secluded and shaded
• Hard-line internet to better enable a livestream

USQ considered the following factors in selecting Columbia:

• Cost of hosting the event
• Cost for players and teams to travel
• Quality of facility
• Financial and in-kind support from the host city
• When possible, rotation between geographic areas

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATIONS, LISTED BY EVENT DATE:

Northeast: Rochester, New York (Total Sports Experience) Oct. 31 - Nov. 1

Great Lakes: West Chester, Ohio (Voice of America Athletic Complex) Nov. 7 - Nov. 8

Mid-Atlantic: Virginia Beach, Virginia (Voices of America MetroPark) Nov. 14 - Nov. 15

Midwest: Macomb, Illinois (Veteran’s Park) Nov. 21 - Nov. 22

Northwest: Salem, Oregon (Capital Futbol Club Soccer Complex) Feb. 6 - Feb. 7

South: Polk County, Florida (Lake Myrtle Sports Park) Feb. 13 - Feb. 14

Southwest: San Marcos, Texas (West Campus Fields, Texas State University) Feb. 20 - Feb. 21

West: Los Angeles (Intramural Fields at University of California, Los Angeles) Feb. 27 - Feb. 28

This marks the third consecutive time that Rochester will host the Northeast Regional Championship and the second consecutive time that San Marcos will host the Southwest Regional Championship.

The bidding process began in December 2014, with bids to be submitted by April. Finalists were announced in May.

To host a USQ event, a bidding city must commit to providing a field including electric lights, free of charge; cash/in-kind support; a site visit for USQ employees; and event specific resources.

For US Quidditch Cup, a city must commit at least $30,000 in in-kind support and make the facility available for up to six days. USQ also requires a capacity of 5,000 people among other requirements and expects to take 10 percent of concession revenue. For regional championships, USQ requires cash or in-kind support of $5,000. USQ anticipates 500 spectators for each regional championship and 5,000-8,000 for US Quidditch Cup.

In its bid packet, USQ promised cities it would announce locations on June 1, 2015.