Three Years to Go: North Carolina Celebrates the Road to the 2029 FISU World University Games
With just three years until the 2029 FISU World University Games come to North Carolina, leaders from across the sports industry, higher education, and local communities gathered in Morrisville to celebrate an exciting milestone—and the momentum continues to build.
Hosted at Rush Hour Karting, the "3 Years to Go" celebration brought together supporters, partners, student-athletes, and sports executives to recognize the progress already made while looking ahead to welcoming thousands of student-athletes from around the world in 2029.
Celebrating Women Who Are Shaping the Future of Sport
The event also highlighted the incredible growth and impact of women's sports through two engaging panel discussions featuring leaders from collegiate athletics, professional sports, media, and athlete development.
The first panel, moderated by Rachel Axon of Sports Business Journal, featured Debbie Antonelli (ESPN and CBS Sports), Francie Gottsegen (North Carolina Courage), and Thayer Lavielle (The Collective). Together, they discussed the rapid rise of women's sports, evolving opportunities for athletes, and the importance of investing in the next generation of leaders.
A second panel, moderated by Debbie Antonelli, focused on the collegiate pathway and featured Olivia Gaines of North Carolina Central University, Erin Neppel of UNC Women's Rowing, and Sarah Knox Harper, a Team USA rower who represented the United States at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.
Their experiences served as a powerful reminder of what makes the World University Games unique: bringing together elite athletic competition with the educational mission of universities around the globe.
Building Excitement Across North Carolina
Momentum wasn't limited to the celebration in Morrisville.
Just days later, WakeMed Soccer Park—one of the future competition venues for the 2029 Games—hosted an international Rugby 15s match between the United States and Spain as part of the World Rugby Nations Cup. More than 7,000 fans filled the stadium to watch Team USA earn a thrilling 29–22 victory.
The event also included youth and club rugby competitions, giving local athletes the opportunity to experience international competition firsthand and showcasing the growing enthusiasm for rugby across North Carolina.
As one of the sports featured in the 2029 World University Games, the match offered an exciting preview of what's to come.
Looking Ahead
Every venue visit, planning meeting, community event, and international competition brings North Carolina one step closer to welcoming the world in 2029.
Over the next three years, preparations will continue across the state as host communities, universities, volunteers, and partners work together to deliver one of the largest international sporting events ever hosted in North Carolina.
The countdown has begun, and the excitement is only growing.
In three years, thousands of student-athletes representing more than 150 countries will arrive to compete, connect, and celebrate the power of university sport. Until then, each milestone serves as another reminder that something extraordinary is taking shape across North Carolina.
Three years to go. The journey to 2029 is well underway. Visit https://ncusa2029wug.com/ to learn more about how you can get involved in the Games!
Find UniUSA and WUG2029 on Instagram (@uniusateam) (@wug2029), X (@UniUSATeam) (@WUG2029), and Facebook (Uni-USA) (NC USA 2029 FISU World University Games), and LinkedIn.
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