Delaware Tourism Office (DTO) announced awards to seven Delaware sports facilities through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund. Established through the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
DTO accepted applications for the fund from November 12, 2025, through December 12, 2025. The office received 27 applications requesting just over $50 million for $10 million in available funding.
Applications were reviewed by a panel, including the co-chairs of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Debra Heffernan, and representatives of the Delaware Tourism Office, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kent County Tourism, and Southern Delaware Tourism. The panel met on Jan. 23, 2026, to begin reviewing the applications, and finalized their funding decision at a meeting on Feb. 3, 2036, in Dover.
“I was very impressed with the quality of this year’s applications and their plans to elevate Delaware’s status as a top sports tourism destination,” said Sen. Walsh. “Data has already shown the impact of sports tourism on the State’s economy to be over $400 million. This industry not only brings in dollars, but supports jobs, which in turn supports local families. This is an example of being responsible with taxpayer dollars.”
Heffernan pointed out the impacts already being felt due to prior investments.
“We are already seeing the impact of this fund’s investments from prior years on the growth of sports tourism statewide,” said Rep. Heffernan. “Funding these organization’s plans will help us attract even more regional and national tournaments but will also be a benefit to Delawareans who will make use of them as well.”
Jessica Welch, Director of the Delaware Tourism Office was proud of the initiative to increase tourism in the state.
“We’re proud to build on the success of previous rounds of this initiative by selecting projects that have a clear plan to increase visitor traffic to Delaware,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “The Review Panel also worked diligently to ensure we were supporting projects in all three counties, and those that would improve our sports tourism offerings across a wide range of sporting activities.” Welch also said that this is the highest number of projects the Review Panel has funded since the program’s start.
Locally, DE Turf received $4.15 million, the most awarded from the grant, to add a 13th field which will be domed to enable year-round tournaments and additional playing space. DE Turf is located just north of Milford near Frederica.
The other awardees included $760,000 to Chase Fieldhouse; $1 million to Dave Marshall Tennis & Pickleball; $1 million to Dover Motor Speedway; $2.3 million to Game On Sports Complex; $390,000 to River Soccer Club; and $400,000 to Georgetown Speedway.
During its first two rounds, DTO awarded $21.3 million to nine sports tourism facilities across the state.
Delaware has increasingly become a destination for national sporting events, including the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, Zap World Championships of Skimboarding, the annual Senior League Softball World Series, the 2025 PBA Season Opener, and the state’s first PGA Tour event, the 2022 BMW Championship.
Sports tourism is also a major economic driver in the state. In 2023, 1.1 million sports travelers attended a sports tournament, race, or other event – either as a participant or spectator – in Delaware. The travelers spent $231.4 million while at the sports venue and at off-site establishments in Delaware, including local restaurants, hotels, retailers, and recreation/ entertainment venues.
More information on the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, and eligibility can be found on the Visit Delaware website.
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware.
