Happy Holidays to our readers! Welcome to the final edition of our monthly eNews Updates for 2024. It’s been a momentous year that has paved the way for even more major developments in 2025 and beyond. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let us brief you on a very busy December in North Carolina’s University Hub region and the exciting January ahead.
Only Three Weeks to Winter World University Games in Torino!
The 2025 Winter World University Games will begin just three weeks from today, on Monday, January 13, 2025, in Torino, Italy. The Games will run through Thursday, January 23. The Torino Games will feature 13 sports, including for the first time ever in a World University Games, two Paralympic sports: Para Alpine Skiing, and Para Cross Country Skiing. The other sports are Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Freeski, Ice Hockey, Short Track Speedskating, Ski Mountaineering, Ski Orienteering, and Snowboarding.
Torino is an experienced sports city having served as the host for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Torino is also the birthplace of the World University Games, with the very first Games held in the city in 1959. Next month’s FISU Winter Games mark the 66th Anniversary of the inaugural World University Games.
The United States will send 127 athletes to the Torino Games. This will be among the larger country delegations participating at the 2025 Winter WUG. U.S. athletes represent more than 60 U.S. colleges and universities ranging from Harvard and Lehigh in the east to Cal, Arizona State, and the University of Utah in the west. ESPN+ is expected to provide coverage of the Games, and we will publish the broadcast schedule on our WUG2029 website as soon as we have that. (www.ncusa2029wug.com)
FISU Site Visit
The International University Sports Federation which goes by the acronym FISU, is the international governing body for the World University Games. FISU is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee and a number of the international sports federations. FISU has four executives charged with overseeing the Summer World University Games: Jing Zhao, Director; Brian Carrer, Manager; Andrea Uccello, Coordinator; and Josh Miethke, Assistant. These four Summer Games leaders spent a full week, Sunday, December 1 through Saturday, December 7, 2024, in North Carolina as part of a FISU Official Site Visit
The goals of the Site Visit included checking on progress of the North Carolina Organizing Committee (NCOC) for the Games, sharing FISU expertise and guidance for strong Games planning and execution, vetting several proposed venues for the Games, and visiting with North Carolina business and community leaders. In addition to conducting very helpful workshops on Games preparations, the FISU execs were briefed by NCOC staff on key Games initiatives including Marketing & Social Media, Partnerships & Fundraising, Management & Operations, Transportation, Accommodations, Athlete Villages, Security, Venues, Ceremonies, Competition and Training Schedules, Finance, and more.
The FISU Team was treated to a VIP Reception held at the Embassy Suites Cary on Wednesday evening, December 4. In addition, they were able to experience several top-tier sports events during their visit, including the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, December 3 at Lenovo Center; Duke Men’s Basketball vs Auburn at Cameron Indoor Stadium the following day; and the NCAA Women’s College Cup Semi-finals featuring Wake Forest, Stanford, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday evening, December 6. Each of the three venues is a Host Venue for the 2029 World University Games, and every event featured capacity or near-capacity enthusiastic crowds.
The success of the 2024 FISU Site Visit would not have been possible without the help of many organizations and individuals who support the 2029 World University Games. We would especially like to thank the following: Embassy Suites Cary (accommodations/reception); Duke Athletics and Jim & Cathy Stuart (Duke Men’s Basketball); Capitol Broadcasting Company (Carolina Hurricanes); Priam Properties (conference and meeting spaces); Town of Cary (NCAA Women’s College Cup). Additional contributors appear in the article immediately below. For photos from the FISU Site Visit, VIP Reception, and Bus Unveiling, visit any or all of these three 2029 FISU World University Games Flickr albums:
- FISU December 2024 Site Visit
- 2029 World University Games VIP Reception December 4, 2024
- 2029 World University Games Bus Unveiling December 4, 2024
GoTriangle WUG2029 Bus Unveiling
Thanks to a major collaborative effort among GoTriangle, the Transit Authority for North Carolina’s Triangle Region; Research Triangle Park; Hummingbird Creative Group; and NCOC, on Wednesday morning, December 4 in the Frontier RTP development, two GoTriangle buses with specially-designed bus wraps featuring the 2029 FISU World University Games were unveiled to an audience of approximately 35 transit and community leaders. This was the first time in history that GoTriangle has wrapped buses featuring something other than GoTriangle itself. Brenda Howerton, Chair of the Board of Trustees of GoTriangle, said “the magnitude, importance, and impacts of the 2029 World University Games, are worthy of this first-ever special recognition and promotion by GoTriangle.”
Following a brief ceremony with remarks by Hill Carrow, Chairman & CEO of the 2029 World University Games; Scott Levitan, President & CEO of Research Triangle Park; Brenda Howerton; and Wendy Coulter, Founder & CEO, of Hummingbird Creative Group, the design team behind the bus wraps and other WUG2029 design elements, attendees adjourned to the parking lot where the two featured buses were positioned for viewing in front of Boxyard RTP. Following lots of oohs and aahs from the crowd, viewing “parties” inside and outside the buses, and comments to the local media, attendees assembled for a group photo in front of the buses.
Many thanks to GoTriangle, Research Triangle Park, and Hummingbird Creative Group for making this historic first a reality. The 2029 World University Games buses are in circulation, serving transit routes in and across the Triangle region. Keep an eye out for them and if you spot one, we encourage you to take a photo and post on social media and let everyone know where and when you spotted the WUG2029 GoTriangle buses on the road. In the meantime, to enjoy a short video on the GoTriangle 2029 World University Games Bus Unveiling Event, click here and scroll down to the last video on the page.
Paris Olympians in the Triangle
The 2024 U.S. Yonex Badminton Adult National Championships were held Thursday, December 12 through 15, 2024, at Morrisville, NC’s Triangle Badminton & Table Tennis (a WUG2029 Bid Supporter and Training Venue for the 2029 FISU Games). USA Badminton also held its annual National Assembly at the venue during the event. Competing in the National Championships were three Paris Olympians, Jennie Gai, and sisters Annie Xu and Kerry Xu. The Championships served as the selection event for the U.S. National Team that will compete in the 2025 Pan American Cup continental championships. While USA Badminton was in town, two of its top executives, John Ruger, Interim CEO, and Esther Lin, Athlete Services Manager, took time to visit the offices of the 2029 World University Games in Cary where they were welcomed by Hill Carrow and offered NCOC’s full support of USA Badminton.
FISU News
On June 1, 1949, university sport leaders gathered in Zurich, Switzerland, to form the International University Sports Federation (FISU), making June 1 of this year FISU’s 75th Anniversary! On Wednesday, November 27, FISU hosted a special celebration of the 75th Anniversary while also marking the occasion of the transition from the previous FISU CEO, Eric Saintrond, to the new CEO, Matthias Remund.
It’s now official: As of December 1, 2024, Matthias Remund has officially succeeded Eric Saintrond as the new CEO of the International University Sports Federation (FISU). Matthias comes to FISU, from Switzerland’s Federal Office of Sport, the equivalent in of the country’s Sports Ministry. Matthias is a lawyer and a former Cross Country Skiing athlete. Matthias has spent decades in sports and education and has expressed great excitement over the opportunity to lead an international sports federation focused on university sports. He indicates that his early plan is to “develop university sports and have fun”.
Sports Brief
The first two weeks of December saw top-tier national and international competition across North Carolina’s University Hub region with Cary hosting both the Women’s and Men’s NCAA College Cup Soccer National Championships on consecutive weekends (Dec. 6-9 and Dec. 13-16) at WakeMed Soccer Park, and Greensboro hosting the 2024 Toyota U.S. Open, a premier international swimming competition, at the Greensboro Aquatic Center (a host venue for WUG2029 Swimming and Diving events).
UNC Chapel Hill’s Women’s Soccer Team won its 23rd National Championship in capturing the Women’s College Cup in Cary. Duke Women’s Team made it to the semifinals. Both Carolina and Duke are host institutions for the 2029 World University Games.
Three North Carolina locations were recently added by FIFA, soccer world governing body, to the list of potential Team Base Camps in preparation for the 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The three sites, together with the host hotel for each are: 1) UNC Chapel Hill with the Sheraton Chapel Hill, 2) UNC Greensboro with the Grandover Resort & Spa, and 3) the Carolina Core Elite Performance Centre in High Point with the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel.
Earlier this month, the NCAA made a special announcement that the Town of Cary has achieved the coveted “Host Site” status for its hosting of Men’s and Women’s Soccer College Cups (awarded to WakeMed Soccer Park through 2028), and NCAA Division II Baseball National Championships (awarded to the USA Baseball National Training Complex through 2038). Major congratulations to William Davis, Sports Venues Manager, and Chris Duty, Assistant Division Manager, of the Town of Cary’s Parks & Recreation Department for securing this long-sought-after designation for the Town of Cary and its venues!
Last month Greensboro welcomed Olympic and World Champion Gymnast, Simone Biles, and her Gold Over America Tour to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, on Friday, November 1. The show featured a number of U.S. and Canadian Olympians from the Paris Olympic Games.
Happy New Year to All! We look forward to more exciting 2029 World University Games news in 2025!
Support the Games
Be a vital part of championing the world’s premier event for student-athletes! Bringing the 2029 World University Games to our state promises unparalleled economic advantages for our communities. Seize the chance to spotlight North Carolina on the global stage! Click below to explore the myriad of ways you can contribute and support the Games.
Don’t Forget to Shop Local and Support the WUG
Our online store features 2029 FISU World University Games t’s, polos, hoodies, tanks, caps, and more. Items come in a wide variety of colors, and the store has proven to be quite a popular online shopping destination. Don’t miss your opportunity to show your support of the 2029 FISU World University Games by snagging some excellent quality, name-brand clothing and caps!
Sponsor Thank You’s
We cannot thank our sponsors enough for their strong belief in, and generous support of, the 2029 World University Games. We encourage you to patronize their businesses and give them your own personal thanks when you do.