Special Olympics athletes to compete for 2026 Special Olympics Kentucky Region 1 Basketball Tournament
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Over 450 Special Olympics Kentucky athletes on 43 teams will complete this weekend for the 2026 Special Olympics Kentucky Region 1 Basketball Tournament.
Organizers say the games will take place Saturday, Feb. 7 and Sunday, Feb. 8 at Kummer/Little Recreation Center and the F.O. Moxley Community Center in Bowling Green.
Each of the teams will be looking to punch their tickets to the organization’s State Basketball Tournament, which will be held in Louisville March 14-15. Of the 43 teams competing in seven divisions at the Region 1 Tournament, 12 will earn berths in the State Tournament.
Games get underway Saturday at 9 a.m. at both facilities, with the last Saturday games starting at 3:15 p.m.
Games resume Sunday at both facilities at 9 a.m., with the last game of the day starting at 2 p.m.. Five Bowling Green teams will be competing, as well as teams from Barren County, Caldwell County, Christian County, Henderson County, Hopkins County, McCracken County, Marshall County, Murray, Ohio County, Owensboro, Russellville and Trigg County. For the first time ever, there will also be a team from Butler County competing.
The Region 1 Basketball Tournament continues to grow as this year’s Tournament tops last year’s as the largest in Special Olympics Kentucky history and only the third time the event has had to move to a two-day format to accommodate all the teams participating.
Basketball is one of the most popular Special Olympics Kentucky sports offerings in the state. This year, more than 1,350 athletes are competing on 124 teams statewide. Both the athlete and team numbers are program records. Teams compete throughout the state in leagues and invitational and regional tournaments, all leading up to the State Basketball Tournament in March. Regional Tournaments determine which teams advance to the State Tournament. Teams that do not qualify for the State Tournament have the option of participating in the Team Skills Competition, which is also held in Louisville in conjunction with the State Tournament.
The Region 1 Basketball Tournament is made possible by the support of Special Olympics Kentucky Year-Round Partners Jersey Mike’s Subs, Texas Roadhouse and Toyota Motor Corporation.
