Rocket City sports landscape paved with ice, grass and sand

HUNTSVILLE – With the first of at least two Conference USA Basketball Championships in the rearview mirror, Huntsville’s sports fans can now turn their sights to the next events on the schedule.

First, though, a quick review of the CUSA men’s and women’s CUSA tournaments played last week at the Von Braun Center’s Propst Arena. The league is also slated to play the tournaments here in 2025 with an option for a third year.

“I think by any measure the tournaments were a success,” said Joel Lamp, sports sales manager for the Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The feedback we’ve gotten from the conference has been very positive. I think the teams had a great experience. The student athletes had a great experience, the fans had a great experience.

“It’s a great jumping off point for the rest of the tenure for the tournament here in Huntsville.”

The Middle Tennessee State women and Western Kentucky men won their respective brackets and earned the league’s automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament.

The CVB joined with the Huntsville Sports Commission and City of Huntsville in bringing the action to the Rocket City.

Soccer, golf, track, cross country, curling and beach volleyball events are featured in the coming weeks and months at various Huntsville venues.

For other non-sports events and happenings, visit https://www.huntsville.org/events/ or https://wearehuntsville.com/event-calendar/

Upcoming Huntsville amateur sports events

• Spring Shootout, Saturday: Alabama will face Tennessee in a Southeastern Conference women’s soccer match in this inaugural event at the Loretta Spencer Complex. Gulf South Conference members Union and Trevecca Nazarene are part of the Shootout doubleheader kicking off at 1 p.m. Alabama’s reserves will play a shortened match against Union or Trevecca following the full match versus Tennessee. .
• Horizon Cup, Saturday-Sunday: The annual youth soccer tournament features U9-U15 at Merrimack Soccer Complex attracting academy and competitive teams from clubs across the southern United States.

• Rocket City Showcase, March 29-30: Track and field event at Milton Frank Stadium conducted under an National High School Federation sanction approval. All competitors must represent their high school. 
• Space Race 5U Bonspiel, April 5-7: Open to all players with five or fewer years of curling eligibility. Teams can be made up of any combination of men and women. Qualifier for USA Curling 2014 National Championship.
• ASUN Women’s Golf Championship, April 14-16: The Atlantic Sun Conference will hold this event at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove.
• North Alabama FC Spring Classic, April 19-21: The tournament is played at Merrimack Soccer Complex, attracting over 80 boys and girls 8U-15U teams from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
• Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship, April 25-27.2024: The Sun Belt Conference brings the event to John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex.
• National Junior College Athletic Association Beach Volleyball Championship, May 2-4: This 12-team junior college national championship will be played at the John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex.
• AHSAA State Soccer Championships, May 8-11: A single-elimination tournament in each classification according to a pre-drawn bracket.
• Apollo Cup, May 18-19: The event, played at Merrimack Soccer Complex, offers several levels of competition.
• AJGA Huntsville Junior, June 24-27: Golf event for boys and girls juniors will be played at Huntsville Country Club with 75-plus participants from around the world.
• Rock-It Bonspiel, Aug. 31-Sept. 2: This Labor Day event sponsored by the Rocket City Curling Club is in its fifth year at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center.
• Southern Showcase, Sept. 13-14: A cross-country meet directed by Huntsville High School and Jacksonville State University, this event brings more than 150 teams and 5,000+ runners to John Hunt Park.