Sports in Denver - Event Hosting

Event Hosting

• Denver co-hosted the 1962 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships (together with Colorado Springs).
• Initially awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics. However, due to rising costs and worries about environmental impact, voters rejected a public-funding ballot measure. Without the bond, Denver could not support the games, and the IOC retracted the award.
• Denver hosted the ABA All-Star Game in 1976 and the 1984 NBA All-Star Game at McNichols Arena.
• Denver also hosted the 1990 NCAA Final Four at McNichols Arena.
• The Ultimate Fighting Championship, which eventually become the world's leading mixed martial arts organization, held its first two events in Denver—UFC 1 on November 12, 1993 and UFC 2 on March 11, 1994.
• The 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Coors Field.
• The 2001 NHL All-Star Game and FanFest at Pepsi Center.
• 2005 NBA All-Star Game at Pepsi Center.
• The 2008 NCAA Frozen Four Tournament was hosted in Denver.
• Denver hosted a yearly auto race on the Champ Car World Series circuit, the Grand Prix of Denver, before that series' demise in 2008.
• The Colorado Colfax Marathon is run through the city annually.
• The Churchill Cup, an annual international competition in rugby union featuring the USA and Canada senior national teams, the England Saxons (that country's second-level national team), and three invited teams, was hosted by Denver in 2009, with matches held at the rugby-specific Infinity Park in Glendale and Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Denver has been suggested as a permanent home for the competition. The 2010 tournament will feature preliminary rounds in Denver. Also, Denver is reportedly in the running to host a Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia and New Zealand national teams, possibly in 2010.
• Denver is host city for the 2009 Women's Flat Track Derby Association Western Regionals Roller Derby Tournament.
• Denver was the host for Sportaccord 2009, the largest international sports convention in the world.
• The city is strongly considering a bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. In December 2011 a Denver 2022 exploratory committee was launched. Reno-Tahoe is also interested in bidding for 2022.