Badger State Games

The Badger State Games are a set of annual Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from the state of Wisconsin. It is a member of the National Congress of State Games. The Badger State Games began in 1985 and hold both summer and winter games annually. In August 2011, the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation (WSDC), the manager of the Games, decided to discontinue the summer and winter events. The WSDC stated that the Games had served its purpose and that the current market for amateur athletic events had become saturated, which had lowered participation in recent years. In October 2011, it was announced that the WSDC had reached an agreement to sell the Badger State Games brand to the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Instead of accepting a cash payment, the WSDC asked that the CVB provide $5,000 athlete scholarships for the Winter Games for the next three years. It was agreed that the Winter Games would be held in the Wausau area, and the Summer Games would continue to be held in the Fox Cities for at least the following three years. The CVB announced that the following events would be held in the February 2012 Winter Games: Alpine Skiing, Billiards, Bowling, Curling, Figure Skating, Indoor Archery (last two weekends in January) and Nordic (Cross Country) Skiing. Additional events would be considered based on athlete participation and facility availability.