USA Games Qualification

Special Olympics Northern California (SONorCal) is excited to announce that individuals and teams will soon have the opportunity to qualify to be nominated to be part of the SONorCal delegation for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, tentatively set for June 19-27, 2026 in Minneapolis, MN.

Eligible athletes and teams will be added to the selection process at Fall Games, which will serve as the qualifying event for Soccer. 

USA Games rules stipulate that any athlete must be at least 16 years of age at the time of Opening Ceremony (tentatively scheduled for June 20, 2026). Team rosters (Basketball, Bocce, Flag Football and Soccer) become frozen at the time of registration for the Regional Competition. No changes may be made between then and USA Games. Coaches should construct teams accordingly. 

This will be a blind draw, including alternates.  Athlete and team announcements will begin no sooner than 2025 for all sports. 

In addition to competition qualification requirements, nominated athletes and teams must attend the official SONorCal Training Camp (date and location TBD) and meet all expectations set forth by the SONorCal delegation before officially being placed on the SONorCal team.  

SONorCal Sports Staff will provide additional details as they become available, and coaches will be asked to share this information with their team’s coaches, athletes and families.