Enjoy a Rich Tradition of Sports in Pueblo, CO
From football and boxing to cycling and track and field, this region helps people fuel their competitive spirit.
Barely 20 years after Pueblo was incorporated in 1870, Central High played Centennial High in football, starting what is the oldest high school football rivalry west of the Mississippi River.
That also began a rich tradition of sports in the Pueblo area that continues today. From boxing to cycling to track and field, the region has both the enthusiasm and the infrastructure to play host to a variety of sports events.
In This Article
A Great Sports Destination
“We’re a sports powerhouse in the state of Colorado,” says Cara Siegel, sports marketing and engagement coordinator for the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce. “We are home to 28 stellar facilities, including being the headquarters of the Professional Bull Riders Association. And we want to attract even more high-profile sporting events to the city and make outside entities see us as a true sports destination.”
Many sports officials already view Pueblo that way. USA Boxing, for example, hosted its first international tournament on U.S. soil in more than a decade at the Pueblo Convention Center in 2022. The organization returned in 2023 for the Last Chance Qualifier event, as more than 400 amateur boxers from throughout the country spent a week in Pueblo competing for a chance to make the U.S. Olympic trials in advance of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
“We feel fortunate that USA Boxing picked us for this great event,” says Kevin Ortiz, Pueblo Convention Center general manager. “The relationship Pueblo has built with USA Boxing has been fantastic, and we always love the opportunity to work with them.”
Here are two other sports that are finding a home in Pueblo:
Track and Field Championships
The 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships was held on the campus of Colorado State University Pueblo, and the event is scheduled to return there in 2025.
“Our goal is to bring people to Southern Colorado and have an opportunity to compete at a high level,” says Paul Plinske, vice president for athletics and strategic partnerships at CSU Pueblo. “One of the things we’ve recognized is that our elevation is prime for peak performances. People are able to jump higher, throw farther and run faster than they have before.
“Our climate is also very good. Our temperature and the air quality are at a high level. It makes for a really positive experience for all the participants.”
More than 900 athletes from 280 institutions participated in the three-day event. This included Cordell Tinch of Pittsburg State University in Kansas. During his time in Pueblo, Tinch became the first athlete in NCAA Division II history to record three individual event national titles at the same championship when he won the 110-meter hurdles, the long jump and the high jump. He went on to compete in both the U.S. Championships and the World Championships in Hungary.
“This was a first-class, top-notch national sporting event,” Plinske says. “We’re excited about what we did in 2023 and the opportunity to host again in 2025. People travel for sporting events. Sports has a special place in the public community, and we hope to build upon that.”
Cycling Event Draws Scores of Competitors
Pueblo has more than 700 miles of dirt/gravel roads, making it an ideal location for the sport of gravel cycling. That has led to the creation of several gravel-riding events in recent years, including the inaugural Grassroots Gravel race in 2023.
“Because of the proximity of all those gravel roads, Pueblo has started attracting top-tier gravel cyclists and industry professionals,” says Adam Davidson, Grassroots Gravel founder and promoter. “We launched Grassroots Gravel to bring in even more cyclists and industry stakeholders, but also to produce a world-class event that is accessible for every person who wants to ride.”
Davidson said cyclists from 15 states and three countries competed in the 2023 event, including female winner Christie Tracy, a multi-time winner of the U.S. Masters National and the World Championships. But Davidson said he is most proud of the number of riders from the Pueblo area who entered the race.
“We are producing this for everyone, and if the pros want to come, that’s great,” Davidson said. “But our target audience is bringing new people into the fold and making this event something that is actively welcoming for everyone.”
Ice Hockey Offers Thrills and Chills
While Pueblo traditionally has milder winters than much of Colorado, there still is plenty of enthusiasm in the region for winter activities. That includes enjoying hockey, both watching and playing it.
The Pueblo Bulls 20-and-under hockey team has been entertaining fans since 2019. As a member of the National Collegiate Development Conference, the Bulls have helped numerous players advance to play college and professional hockey. The team’s games are held in the cozy 870-seat Pueblo Ice Arena, where sellouts and loud cheering are regular occurrences.
The Pueblo County Hornets play games at the Ice Arena as well, with a team made up of students from all the local high schools. Meanwhile, the Pueblo Bulls Youth Hockey Association provides training programs for players ages 14 and younger from throughout Southern Colorado.
Adults can get in on the fun through organized amateur hockey leagues for men, women and co-ed. In addition, drop-in hockey is available on Friday mornings, with players dividing themselves into teams for non-scored, non-officiated games.
The Pueblo Ice Arena is also open for general skating five days a week, with sessions costing as little as $4 per person, skates included. On Friday nights when the Bulls do not have a home game, the public skating is enhanced by a display of more than 1,000 laser and LED lights along with dance music and a wispy fog.
Finally, for those who are learning how to skate or simply want to improve their skills, the Ice Arena holds figure skating practices and private lessons, along with a skating academy that provides 30-minute lessons once a week for eight weeks .
Get to Know Pueblo
Want to learn more about living and working in Pueblo, CO? Check out the latest edition of Livability Pueblo, Colorado.
