Pueblo, Colorado’s Sports Scene Experiences a Renaissance
In Pueblo, CO, the spirit of sports past endures. This is a city with a long, rich history of sports events and facilities, many of which remain an important part of Pueblo today.
For example, on Thanksgiving Day in 1892 — less than 20 years after Pueblo officially became a city — the Centennial High School Bulldogs and the Central High Wildcats ran onto the field at Minnequa Ballpark to compete in the relatively new sport of football. More than 130 years later, those two teams still meet each season, making it the oldest high school football rivalry west of the Mississippi River.
The annual contest became known as the Bell Game in 1950, when a bell from an old railway engine was repurposed as a trophy for the winning team. That same year, the city opened Earl “Dutch” Clark Stadium, named after the former Pueblo Central High athlete who went on to play in the NFL and was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Today, the historic stadium is utilized for all District 60 high school varsity football, soccer, and track-and-field events.
“The sports scene has always been huge here and is a really big part of our history.”
Cara Siegel, Visit Pueblo & Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce
But Clark Stadium is not the oldest sports facility in Pueblo. That honor goes to the Runyon Field Sports Complex, named in memory of famed writer Damon Runyon, who grew up in Pueblo. The origins of the baseball/ softball field date to 1934, when bleachers were first placed at the location. By 1938, the facility had been enhanced enough that legendary baseball slugger Babe Ruth played in an exhibition game there while passing through town.
“Pueblo is filled with rich sports traditions,” says Cara Siegel, marketing and engagement coordinator for Visit Pueblo & Greater Pueblo Chamber. “The sports scene has always been huge here and is a really big part of our history.”
Major Athletic Events Land in Pueblo
Pueblo isn’t just living in the past when it comes to sporting events. Far from it. Instead, the city is actively improving its existing sports facilities (both Clark Stadium and Runyon Field recently underwent extensive renovations) as well as pursuing new events.
“We recently started our first Pueblo Sports Tourism Division,” Siegel says. “Our goal is to enhance and grow the overall sports footprint within Pueblo, both in making our existing sporting events bigger and bringing in new events as a host site. We’re working to find new ways to bring full utilization to our 28 sporting facilities within the city.”
One of the biggest events in recent years has been the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which were held on the campus of Colorado State University Pueblo in 2023 and are returning there in 2025. Nearly 1,000 athletes from 280 institutions participated in 2023.
USA Boxing also has found a home in Pueblo, hosting an international tournament at the Pueblo Convention Center in 2022, then returning in 2023 with a qualifying event for more than 400 U.S. boxers in advance of the Summer Olympics in Paris. In October 2024, Pueblo hosted the World Boxing Under-19 Championships, one of the first events in preparation for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Two more USA Boxing tournaments are scheduled for 2025.
“That relationship with USA Boxing is strengthening every year,” Siegel says. “It’s something new that we’re tapping into, and we’re proving that we are a good fit.”
Pueblo has its own sports teams to cheer for as well, led by the Pueblo Bulls Hockey Club, a developmental team for players ages 20 and under who are seeking collegiate scholarships or the chance to play professionally. Since arriving in town in 2019, the Bulls have drawn numerous sellouts to the Pueblo Ice Arena, which also has recently been renovated.
“The community has welcomed that team with open arms from Day 1,” Siegel says. “And because of the Bulls, youth hockey is growing in Pueblo.”
And the list goes on. From the new Pueblo SteelHawks minor-league football team to the Grassroots Gravel cycling event (which had more than 800 participants in 2024) to Colorado High School Activities Association tennis tournaments at City Park, there continues to be plenty of sports action to cheer for in Pueblo.
“It all just shows how big the sports community is in Pueblo,” Siegel says.
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