Tournaments, events lining up for Henrico Sports & Events Center

31 organizations have already secured dates from October through 2024

Thirty-one sports and community organizations have signed on to hold tournaments, competitions, meetings and other large gatherings at the Henrico Sports & Events Center ahead of its scheduled opening this fall at Virginia Center Commons.

The Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, which oversees the facility, today announced its initial roster of partner organizations, which will present such events as basketball, volleyball and futsal tournaments; cheerleading, dance and gymnastics competitions; group meetings; and high school graduations. Groups have finalized contracts covering more than 135 event dates from October through 2024. Based on discussions with organizations, the number of event dates could potentially double, said Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority.

“We can’t wait to open the Henrico Sports & Events Center so we can share it with our community,” he said. “It’ll truly be a hub of activity, boosting tourism and spending at local businesses and creating lasting memories for athletes and their families. The community’s excitement has grown immensely as construction has progressed. We’re pleased to partner with so many wonderful sports clubs and other organizations from the area and across the state to bring more ‘Showtime. All the Time.’ to Henrico County.”

The Henrico Sports & Events Center is under construction as part of a redevelopment of the Virginia Center Commons area, just off Interstate 95 in northcentral Henrico. The 185,000-square-foot facility will include an arena with retractable and floor seating for 4,500 guests as well as a flexible event space that can be configured for 12 basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts simultaneously.

The organizations and groups that have scheduled events at the facility include Special Olympics Virginia, 804 Coaches for Change, Big Shots Basketball and FutsalRVA. They follow recent announcements of the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship in March 2024 and 2025 and the Adult and Junior Division Wheelchair Basketball National Tournaments, co-hosted by Sportable and others, in April 2024.

Special Olympics Virginia will hold its annual competition Feb. 24-25 in Henrico after being in Stafford County for the past 20 years.

“In Stafford, we utilized 10 different venues to manage the tournament and provide the best competition experience,” said Roy Ziedman, senior vice president of Special Olympics Virginia. “At the Henrico Sports & Events Center, we will be able to host the entire event at one location, improving logistics, the competition experience, delegation maintenance and volunteer experience.”

804 Coaches for Change will hold one of the first events at the Sports & Events Center, a high school basketball tournament slated for Dec. 28-30.

“We are elated to be the first public vs. private school basketball event to take place at the Henrico Sports & Events Center,” said Stephen Lewis, vice president of 804 Coaches for Change. “We hope to continue to make this state-of-the-art venue home to our tournament for years to come, showcasing our student-athletes and providing a platform to bring the community together.”

Big Shots Basketball will host AAU basketball tournaments in Henrico over five weekends from March through July 2024 and again in 2025 and 2026. The group also presents tournaments in such locations as Philadelphia; Virginia Beach; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Rocky Mount, N.C.

“Big Shots is honored to be hosting many events per year at the Henrico Sports & Events Center that will attract teams nationally,” said Jeff Schneider, CEO of Big Shots Basketball. “The Henrico Sports & Events Center will quickly become one of the premier venues in America!”

FutsalRVA will host futsal tournaments in Henrico in January, June and August as well as practices and leagues throughout the year. The organization offers programs for players as young as age 4 to adults.

“We are more than thrilled with our partnership with the Henrico Sports facility and very excited to bring teams from all over the region, not only to experience this world class facility and fantastic competition but also to enjoy what Richmond has to offer,” said Joe Farrell, executive director of FutsalRVA.

The $50 million Henrico Sports & Events Center is being developed through a partnership between Henrico and Rebkee Co., which is redeveloping the former Virginia Center Commons mall property with housing, retail and other uses.

Organizations and groups interested in booking events at the Henrico Sports & Events Center can contact Megan Hazzard, at (804) 501-5221 or [email protected], or Michael McCormack, at (804) 501-4142 or [email protected].

Organizations scheduled to use the Henrico Sports & Events Center