State Investment in Sports Tourism Paying Off

DE House - Republican Caucus

June 6, 2026

“State Rep. Lyndon Yearick joined other state and local leaders last weekend at the 2026 Delaware Super Cup hosted by the DE Turf Sports Complex near Frederica.

The international soccer tournament drew 42 teams and 6,000 attendees in its inaugural year in 2021. This year, the event featured more than 250 teams and attracted over 20,000 attendees.

The State of Delaware has made significant investments in the DE Turf Sports Complex.

In February, the complex was awarded a $4.15 million state grant from the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund to add a new domed, climate-controlled field for year-round play. An earlier state grant awarded $3 million to expand stadium seating from 1,000 to 3,000 and construct a new multipurpose building.

According to one recent industry report, "participatory sports tourism," driven primarily by youth and amateur events, is a growing sector. It generated $60.1 billion in direct spending in the U.S. in 2025 and $149.1 billion in total economic impact, supporting more than 880,000 jobs and producing $11.3 billion in state and local taxes.

"This year's Delaware Super Cup was a great event that illustrated the return-on-investment potential of sports tourism through job creation and by motivating economic activity," Rep. Yearick said.

The event reportedly generated an estimated $2 million in local economic impact through lodging and spending at local businesses.

The four-day international soccer tournament brought together youth, adult, and professional teams from across the United States and other nations, including Bolivia, Chile, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. More than 6,000 amateur players took part.

The event also included youth soccer clinics and visits from professional soccer scouts.