The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is proud to serve as the official host of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, welcoming athletes, families and fans to the University community for a celebration of sport, inclusion and human potential.

Many campus units, public agencies and the Special Olympics organization have worked tirelessly to help bring over 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, 10,000 volunteers and 75,000 fans from all over the United States to the Twin Cities. 

Among those collaborators, University Services has been integral to preparing campus facilities and grounds for their arrival.

Preparing for a nontraditional summer

In 2022, a group of University Services leaders attended the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida, to observe the environment and logistics and connect with organizers about what to expect as a host partner. 

Then, in 2024, serious planning began. Conferences, camps and orientations, as well as capital projects and building maintenance were rescheduled to accommodate the 2026 Games. University Services also began reassessing typical summer staffing, including hiring more employees and accommodating extra, non-typical work hours. The necessary supplies — and where to store them — were also considered. 

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Amy Keran, director of Contract Administration. “It's going to be some long days and nights to help support [athletes] and provide the best service wherever they are.”

Feeling right at home

Eight residence halls will host more than 4,000 athletes, coaches and coordinators during the Games.

To prepare the rooms, all beds will be de-lofted and topped with new linens for a fresh presentation. For Tim Hoaglund, associate director of the Housing, Recreation and Athletics District in Facilities Management (FM), additional Dining Services staff, student custodians and workers from other districts will help clean rooms before, during and after the Games. 

To support building staff and guests in the halls, Housing & Residential Life (HRL) hired extra student employees and partnered with Orientation & Transition Experiences to have orientation leaders on hand.

“We want to provide a place for them to be able to make connections with one another, feel like they have a home base to go to at the end of their days, and have a place to socialize and get to experience the whole program,” says Susan Stubblefield, senior director of HRL.

For meals, athletes can go to three dining halls and Coffman Memorial Union. Keran and Dining Services have worked with Special Olympics organizers to develop nutritious menus that will fuel athletes while also accommodating dietary restrictions. Many granular details are also discussed to offer the best on-campus experience, including deciding whether to serve hot-meal buffets, determining how to deliver quick service, offering to-go options and even selecting the types of silverware to use.

An event-filled week

Ten sporting events, Fan Fest and opening and closing ceremonies will take place across campus during the week. Parking & Transportation Services (PTS) has been hard at work coordinating volunteer and attendee parking, designing shuttle routes for the Games, and planning transportation for athletes, to name a few. During the week, all visitors will have free, accessible transportation to visit all that the Games have to offer.   

“We’re uniquely positioned to host an event like this,” says Lonetta Hanson, assistant director for PTS. “The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games puts our campus and people on the national stage. I think it's a really energizing opportunity to highlight our world-class facilities.”

Huntington Bank Stadium will be one facility making its mark at the Games. Award-winning artists Demi Lovato and Jon Batiste will perform alongside the cauldron lighting and parade of athletes during the Opening Ceremony. 

Multiple athletic venues will also be used — some even modified from their original use. Ridder Arena and 3M Arena at Mariucci will melt their ice and host competitive cheer and volleyball.  

“It’s fun to work through the logistics and try to utilize our facilities differently than we normally would,” says Craig Flor, director of ice arenas for Gopher Athletics. “We want the venues to be seamless when they walk in.”

During competition, athletes will get fresh meals at the venue to refuel and FM carpenters, electricians, plumbers and mechanics will be on standby for necessary repairs. Many other units will be on-site to handle operations, concessions, manage equipment and guide the thousands of volunteers.

“It's a lot of work, but we basically do this every year to get ready for summer conferences,” says Hoaglund. “But this is a big one — a lot of services and support are needed.”

The material journey

To help make an event of this scale happen, the U Market Services warehouse facility has been the central receiving and storage point of all the goods that Special Olympics will need to host the Games.

A warehouse section with 4,400 square feet of space has been allocated for materials — from health and hygiene kits to soccer balls and wireless speakers — quickly expanded from an originally planned 1,600 square feet. Even when organizers and volunteers begin their work, U Market team members will assist with deliveries, a common task as they deliver over 300,000 packages throughout the Twin Cities each year. 

“It's been fun to know that we're a piece of the larger University organization that's making it all happen,” says Talia Averbeck, director of U Market Services. “We're positioned to be able to accept all kinds of deliveries and take on what the University needs us to do.” 

As activities end, Waste Recovery Services (WRS) will be ready to collect and process all waste, recycling and organics instead of transporting it to other locations — something that’s unique to the University. 

The Games on campus are also targeting to be a zero-waste event, diverting 90% or more of materials from the landfill. To achieve this, vendors have been directed to limit excess packaging and use compostable or recyclable materials. And while over 200,000 bottles are expected to be recycled at the end of the week, refill stations near the venues will encourage fans to reuse.

“We are ready. We’re confident in what we do and we always enjoy supporting events on campus,” says Nick Kluge, assistant director for WRS.

Learn more about the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games and campus operations during the week.