DuBois, PA – The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) announced that DuBois, PA, won the award to continue hosting their baseball and softball national championships, the USCAA Small College World Series (SCWS), in 2026 and 2027.
Both sides this May enter the final year of a five-year extension granted in 2019.
“We are pleased to select DuBois, Pennsylvania as our continued host for the championships,” said BJ Bertges, Chief Operations Officer for the USCAA. “Along with the beautiful sports facilities, the partnership created between local leadership, volunteers, business members of the community, and fans of baseball and softball is something our Board greatly values in their decision to select DuBois. We’re looking forward to 2026 and then activate the option for 2027.”
The event not only brings great baseball and softball competition to Showers, Heindl and Stern Family Fields, but is a major economic impact creator for the County. In six years, the USCAA Small College World Series (SCWS) collegiate championships generated a total of $2.88 million in economic impact tallying over 7,800 room nights in DuBois and Clearfield County making it the largest number of room bookings by a single event in Clearfield County.
“The mid-May championships generate 1,400-1,500 room nights annually, split about 50% in DuBois and 50% in Clearfield, by visiting schools, staff and fans”, said Matt Checchio, a sports management representative for the City of DuBois. “And schools come from all over the country from the Mid-Atlantic and as far as Mississippi and Florida raving about the facilities and the friendly, small-town, but first-class experience, they encounter in the County.”
Checchio continued “the impact generated of almost $3 million includes receipts generated at restaurants and eateries, local businesses, and recreation along with calculating the induced effect of this spending for our residents working at these hotels, restaurants, and businesses building stability in the County’s local economies. So when a hotel worker takes their disposable income and makes a purchase at a local business, and then that local business purchases supplies or goods from another business, that ‘re-spending’ of the same dollar before it leaves our area creates what economists, industry, and academics call economic impact. Every event at the fields, from single-games to week-long events, generates this impact.”
“Sports tourism is a growing field across the Commonwealth which contributes to job creation and stimulates the economy,” shared state Rep. Mike Armanini (R-Clearfield/Elk). “The Small College World Series helps support our local businesses and I am happy to see the SCWS continue to benefit our community.”
In 2021, Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, announced the USCAA Small College World Series, in conjunction with the City of DuBois and Visit Clearfield County, as a Mid-Market award winner for the 2020-2021 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism.
The Small College World Series brings an estimated 500 student-athletes to DuBois and Clearfield County. The United States Collegiate Athletic Association is a national organization dedicated to providing opportunities for small colleges to compete against like institutions for national-championships and student athlete recognition.