The LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce Tourism team and Troup County Parks and Recreation are proud to again host, in collaboration with LaGrange College, the 2019 USA South Spring Sports Festival on April 25-28. 

The event includes competition in baseball, softball, golf, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s lacrosse. One of the oldest NCAA Division III conferences in the nation, the USA South has 18 member institutions stretching from Alabama to Virginia.

Athletes will gather for the annual USA South Awards Banquet on Friday, April 26 at Sweetland Amphitheatre. Competition venues include baseball at Cleaveland Field and Point University, softball at Shuford Field, tennis at McCluskey Tennis Center and LaGrange College, and lacrosse at Callaway Stadium. The conference champion in each sport will be determined during the festival.

“We are delighted to serve as host for the USA South Conference for the third straight year,” said JJ Kuerzi, Facilities Manager with Troup County Parks and Recreation. “The level of competition at each of the venues will impress local sports fans. We encourage the community to come out and support these student-athletes as they pursue their dream of winning a championship.”

With nearly 1,000 student-athletes plus their families, as well as coaches and college administrators, the community stands to enjoy a tremendous economic impact as the visitors stay in local hotels, eat in local restaurants, shop in local stores and refill with gas and snacks on their way to and from the competition venues. All competition events are free and open to the public.

Visitors to these events and other attractions in our community are a reminder that tourism is big business in Troup County. 

According to data provided by the Georgia Department of Economic Development for 2017, the tourism industry supported 1,214 local jobs with a total payroll of $29.6 million, generated $167.3 million in direct tourist spending (including $8 million directly attributable to sports tourism), created $6.91 million in state tax revenues and generated $4.6 million in local tax revenues.