Last week marked two annual milestones: the first day of Fall on Tuesday, September 22, and the International Day of University Sport on Sunday, September 20. The International Day of University Sport (IDUS) was first proclaimed by UNESCO in 2015 at the request of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the international governing body for the World University Games. The date was selected both for being near the typical start of the university school year in Europe and to commemorate the first World Student Championships in 1924, a predecessor of the present-day World University Games. The day is intended to connect universities, students, and local communities through sports, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyles. The day is celebrated worldwide by universities through a wide variety of activities, including campus runs, fitness walks, tournaments, conferences, and more.
Now that IDUS has passed, let’s explore what else happened during September of 2026 on the journey to the 2029 World University Games in North Carolina USA.
Olympic Assembly Brings Olympic Family Together
The U.S. Olympic Assembly is the annual gathering of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Family. Hosted by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the Assembly was held this year, from Wednesday, September 23 through Sunday, September 27, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, home of the USOPC and widely known as Olympic City USA. The Assembly brings together a number of significant group members of the U.S. Olympic Family, including the National Sport Governing Bodies (NGBs), U.S. Olympians & Paralympians Association (USOPA), the Affiliate Organizations Council (AOC), U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, and the USOPC Board of Directors, among others.
Hill Carrow, Chairman & CEO of the North Carolina Organizing Committee for the 2029 World University Games, was the WUG2029 representative at the Assembly, where he typically attends the National Governing Body Council (NGBC) meetings. The Council is comprised of 50 NGBs such as USA Lacrosse, USA Pentathlon, USA Water Ski, and many more. The extensive sports lineup of the 2029 World University Games means that WUG2029 is currently interfacing with 20 of those sport governing bodies, including: USA Archery, USA Badminton, USA Baseball, USA Basketball, USA Diving, USA Fencing, USA Gymnastics, USA Judo, USA Rugby, US Soccer Federation, USA Softball, USA Swimming, USA Table Tennis, USA Taekwondo, US Tennis Association, USA Track & Field, USA Volleyball, USA Water Polo, and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.
On the international front, USOPC Chairman, Gene Sykes, emphasized the importance of Kirsty Coventry’s leadership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the impact of having an IOC President who is the first woman, the first mother, the first African, and the most-decorated Olympian to hold the position of President– not to mention that during her athletic career in Swimming she trained in the United States, in college at Auburn and later in North Carolina under Coach David Marsh, a North Carolina Swimming Hall of Famer. Naturally her focus is going to be on the athlete experience and ongoing support for athletes. Towards that end, earlier this year, for the first time in history, the IOC committed to providing $10,000 to every athlete who participates in the Olympic Games. During remarks to the NGB Council, Sykes gave shout-outs to Dragomir Cioroslan, the USOPC’s Director of Global & NGB Relations and a member of the WUG2029 Board of Directors, for the outstanding job he is doing in greatly increasing the United States’ positive presence in the global sports arena
Nationally, the theme of this year’s Assembly was a focus on using the LA28 Olympic Games, which take place from July 14-30, 2028, as a launch point to further build and enhance the Olympic Sport Movement in America in the following decade and more. With the Utah 2034 Winter Olympics already on the calendar, the future is bright, but the USOPC does not want the Olympic Family to rest on its laurels or take its foot off the gas at the conclusion of the LA Games. Mike Tirico, renowned NBC sportscaster, said, “The Los Angeles Olympic Games will be the greatest sports event in history. Full stop.”; so sustaining that once-in-a-lifetime event momentum is a key priority for the USOPC.
And the same applies to the 2029 World University Games where our event takes place almost exactly one year after the LA Summer Olympics. (WUG2029 dates are July 11-22, 2029.) We very much want to ride that wave of Olympic fervor to and through July 2029.
There were a number of good North Carolina connections on hand at the Olympic Assembly, led by Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the USOPC, who is a Duke grad and got her start in sports with sports agency OnSport, which was founded in Raleigh. Olympic Swimming Champions, Cullen Jones (NC State grad who now lives in Charlotte and works for the USOPC) and Nancy Hogshead (Duke grad) were there; as well as David Perkins, COO, and Allison Gupton, Director of Partner & Player Relations, at USA Baseball, which is headquartered in Cary (and a member of the NGB Council); Meredith Griffin, who is Director of Strategy & Quality Practices in Sport for YMCA of the USA (a member of the AOC), and who lives in Knightdale; and Michelle Meadows, Senior VP-COO/CFO at the National Junior College Athletic Association, who resides in the Charlotte area. Michelle also sits on the Board of UniUSA, the U.S. member of FISU.
WUG 2029 Sport Briefs
USA Takes Women’s World Cup: Duke University Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Kara Lawson, served as Head Coach of the USA Women’s Team that won the Women’s World Cup Championship over France (97-79) on September 13. Coach Lawson, who was a Gold Medalist in Women’s Basketball in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing, is Head Coach of the USA Women’s National Team, and as such, she will be Head Coach of the Women’s Team for the LA28 Olympic Games. If she has anything like the lineup she had at this year’s World Cup with Breanna Stewart (MVP), Caitlin, Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers (and more), Olympic Gold will definitely be within reach!
Cain Keynote Leads to Early Sellout: On Wednesday, September 9, the Cary Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Banquet at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, with Jim Cain, former Ambassador to Denmark and President of the Carolina Hurricanes, as well as current WUG2029 Board of Directors Member, as the featured speaker. Mark Lawson, President of the Cary Chamber, indicated it was the fastest the Annual Banquet had ever sold out! During his remarks, Jim Cain gave the 2029 World University Games, which got a rousing round of applause from the more than 250 guests at the big event.
North Carolina Universities Top National Rankings: In recent U.S. News & World Report rankings among U.S. colleges and universities, UNC Chapel Hill was ranked #1 in the country for best value for in-state students, while among public Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro was ranked #1 in the country. Both universities are Host Institutions for the 2029 World University Games
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.
