Alachua County & Gainesville, FL Sports Facilities
Home to the University of Florida and elite sports venues with an abundance of museums and state parks, there’s always something to do in Alachua County, FLIntroduction
CITY OF GAINESVILLE AND ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA
Alachua County, Florida is centrally located in the state and is home to a variety of great attractions including the Florida Museum of Natural History and Butterfly Rainforest, which is one of the nation’s top five natural history museums with a rotating exhibit every few months and a living exhibit of hundreds of butterflies.
The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention is an interactive science museum with a new exhibit every eight weeks, named for Dr. James Robert Cade, a professor at the University of Florida and the lead inventor of the sports drink Gatorade.
The Lubee Bat Conservancy is the world’s largest bat house and tours are available for all those interested in these fascinating creatures.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida treasure, featuring eight trails consisting of over 30 miles showcasing Alachua County’s wildlife. Nowhere else in Florida can visitors experience wild-roaming bison and horses. Nearly 300 species of birds also frequent the park along with alligators, deer and many other animals.
Poe Springs Park is the largest Spring in Alachua County for tubing, kayaks, paddleboards and canoes. 202-acre public park and underwater cave exploration. Take a dip and explore.
Get a Planner’s Perspective
Don’t just take our word for it, hear what these planners had to say.
“It is our mission to continue to build leaders through teamwork, sportsmanship and citizenship, and there is no doubt in our mind that our partnership with the GSC gives us the ability to follow through with that objective. One of our biggest goals is to find quality venues for our state championship events. We believe that when our student-athletes enter the venues the GSC has to offer, including the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, they immediately think they are on the world’s biggest stage.”
— Kellie Doucette, Director of Athletics, Florida High School Athletic Association
Joleen Cacciatore Miller
Find Your Perfect Tournament Facility
Gainesville & Alachua Sports Facility Spotlight
LEGACY PARK
Sports Covered: Baseball, basketball, football, gymnastics, karate, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, softball, volleyball
Legacy Park is a major hub for sports tournaments, including the USA Gymnastics Men’s Florida State Championship, Babe Ruth Softball World Series and US Amateur Boys Basketball Championship. The 100-acre facility was awarded the Florida Sports Foundation Mid-Market Venue of the Year Award in 2019. The outdoor part of the complex is joined with the Hal Brady Recreational Sports Complex. Teams will have access to five baseball and softball fields equipped with lighting and six other multi-sport fields plus a brand-new amphitheater. The Championship softball field offers an air-conditioned press box and seating for up to 2,500 spectators. Planners can also host competitions indoors, where they will find 40,000 square feet of space, 30,000 of which is open wooden floor space.
STEPHEN C. O’CONNELL CENTER
Sports Covered: Multipurpose
Host sports competitions of all levels at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. This popular venue is home to University of Florida sports as well as the USA Artistic Swimming Junior Olympics, the USA Weightlifting National University & Under 25 Championships, and the Florida High School Athletic Association Competitive Cheerleading State Championship. This 292,000-square-foot facility houses a main arena that seats a maximum of 10,500 guests and an eight-lane indoor pool.
ALACHUA COUNTY EVENT CENTER AT CELEBRATION POINTE
Sports Covered: Basketball, volleyball, pickleball, baseball, cheerleading, track
Opened in June 2023, this 130,000-square-foot facility has 83,000 square feet of open space that includes 18 volleyball courts, 10 high school regulation basketball courts with six cross courts, 6,500-square-foot cheer studio with two floors and a tumble run, 3,500 spectator seats, six indoor batting cages, 1,900 square feet of additional meeting space, and a 2,500-square-foot high performance center. It also houses a World Athletics Compliant indoor track and field facility featuring a portable Mondo 200m six-lane banked track and eight-lane 60m sprint area.
CHAMPIONS PARK
Sports Covered: Baseball, fast-pitch softball
If you’re looking for a premier baseball or softball facility to host your next tournament, Champions Park is tough to beat. Located in nearby Newberry, this park features 16 fields which can accommodate youth baseball and any level of fast pitch softball. All fields are lighted along with scoreboards, covered and enclosed dugouts and have state-of-the-art A-Turf infields to limit the chance of rainouts. Additionally, space to hold over 1,000 cars, concessions and air-conditioned administration building.
Easton Newberry Sports Complex
Sports Covered: Archery, basketball, volleyball, baseball/softball, soccer, lacrosse, flag football
This complex features 100 acres of multi- recreational use and archery-specific property along with 20,000 square feet of indoor space. It also has one regulation basketball/volleyball court (two cross courts), a 5,000-square-foot archery range, two youth baseball/softball fields with lights and 220 feet outfield fences, two regulation baseball fields with lights and 340 feet center field fences, and four multi-use grass fields. Other features include 18 indoor shooting lanes (up to 18 meters and can combine with the gymnasium creating 40 lanes), outdoor covered archery ranges, field archery with 54 mats, and a 60-acre trail system.