We’re thrilled to host the 2025 Summer Games at the University of Minnesota! With the excitement of the USA Games coming to town in 2026, there will be no SOMN Summer Games that year. That’s why 2025 is such a special opportunity—we’re committed to delivering an unforgettable, top-tier experience for all SOMN athletes while also setting the stage for an incredible USA Games next year.
- Sports: Swimming, Track & Field, Basketball (Full Court and Half Court), and Gymnastics.
- Additional events & activations: Athlete Village, Healthy Athletes, Friday Dinner, Celebration Ceremonies, LETR Final Leg, Saturday dinner, and Saturday Dance.
There is so much to do at Summer Games! Go check out the fun activations and games in Athlete Village, receive free health screenings (no insurance needed!) at Healthy Athletes, join us at Celebration Ceremonies on Friday night and tear up the dance floor on Saturday night.
Along with facilities being within walking distance of each other, accessible shuttles will be provided to navigate campus throughout the entire Summer Games weekend. Learn more on the Parking & Shuttles page.
Team sport schedules will be posted about 15 days before the State competition. Due to safety reasons and to protect our athletes, we will not be posting individual sport schedules online. However, we will post a schedule of which events are on which day on each individual sport’s landing page. For specific times at which athletes compete in individual sports, Heads of Delegation and Head Coaches will have the schedule! Team sport schedules will be posted on the landing page of the sport on the Summer Games website.
Athletes must choose one sport to compete in for the weekend.
Please note this year State Unified Basketball and Individual Skills are on June 7 at Shakopee High School. This means if an athlete is competing in Unified Basketball or Individual Skills on June 7, they can also compete in another sport over the Summer Games weekend, since this follows our one sport per weekend policy.
- Yes, since those competitions are on different weekends. The athlete would still need to have qualified through regional participation for any sport that they wish to compete in at state.
- Examples: Athlete competing in Individual Skills and Swimming, Partner competing in Unified Full Court and Unified Track & Field.
Yes! Lunches will only be available for registered individuals (athletes, Unified partners, coaches)—no additional meal tickets will be available for purchase.
Dinner will also be served on Friday and Saturday evenings, prior to the Celebration Ceremonies (Friday) and Dance (Saturday), respectively. Dinner on Friday and Saturday night will be open to everyone, including family members/guardians/caretakers/etc, however, we will be connecting with delegations prior to the event to get a final head count for each dinner, so we will not be able to accommodate extra people after numbers are sent in.
Concessions will be available throughout the weekend at all four venues. There are also multiple restaurants in proximity.
Celebration Ceremonies will take place on the evening of Friday, June 20th at Northrup Auditorium. Doors are scheduled to open at 6:30pm, with Ceremonies commencing at 7pm. Teams and volunteers are invited to join us for fun, games and a celebration of the inclusion revolution!
Our Healthy Athletes program offers free health screenings and education to Special Olympics athletes at events throughout the year, including Summer Games. Athletes receive incentives for participating in the screenings. Healthy Athletes will be offering the following screenings over the course of the weekend: Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, Healthy Hearing, Fun Fitness, Strong Minds, Health Promotion. Screenings will take place in the Fieldhouse at the University of Minnesota. More info on Healthy Athletes to come soon on a Healthy Athletes at Summer Games specific webpage!
With a large event footprint at the University of Minnesota, we’ve put thoughtful plans in place to make parking and transportation as smooth as possible. Designated parking areas and convenient shuttle services will be available throughout the event. Learn more on the Parking & Shuttles page.
Delegations are charged a tournament fee for each registered participant attending the games. Spectators are always free and encouraged to attend!
Dorms are available for teams in areas 1-10 who choose to stay on campus. This decision was made by your head of delegation. Reach out to your coach or HOD for your team’s lodging plans.
This year due to limited space at the Track & Field venue, we are not able to accommodate team tents.
Certified Service Animals are permitted to be in attendance at Summer Games. However, all other animals, including Emotional Support Animals, are not allowed at Special Olympics Competitions. We acknowledge and appreciate the value that Emotional Support Animals bring, but this guideline is rooted in prioritizing the health and safety of all individuals present.
We would love to have you volunteer with us! Check out available shifts HERE
Yes! You can view the map on the Venue Map page.
View accessibility details including accessible entrances, accessible bathrooms, adult changing rooms, etc. on the University of Minnesota’s website.
No, all qualifying events for basketball, gymnastics, swimming and track & field took place in 2024.
