About Florida's Sunshine State Games
The history behind Florida's Olympic-style Sports Festival

In 1980, the State of Florida created the Sunshine State Games to provide Florida’s citizens an Olympic-style sports festival they can call their own.  The Sunshine State Games is the nation’s second oldest State Games and is Florida’s largest and longest standing multi-sport festival.  The mission of the Games is to provide quality competition for Florida’s amateur athletes of all ages and skill levels.  Whether you have Olympic aspirations or are a weekend warrior, there is a place in the Sunshine State Games for you!

The Sunshine State Games are conducted under the auspices of the Florida Sports Foundation, a direct-support organization of the State of Florida.  Most competitions are sanctioned or recognized by the Olympic Governing Body for that sport and some serve as Governing Body State Championships or national qualifiers.  Over 30 different sports are offered from February – July each year. 

The Florida Sports Foundation is a member of the National Congress of State Games, a member organization consisting of 32 State Games programs from throughout the nation.  The Sunshine State Games serves as a qualifier for the State Games of America held every odd numbered year.  In even numbered years, the Sunshine State Games serves as a qualifier for the Southeast Sports Festival, a regional championships with athletes participating from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Mississippi.

Sunshine State Games Past Host Communities

1980-82 Gainesville
1983-84 Orlando
1985-86 Tampa
1987 St. Petersburg/Clearwater
1988 Jacksonville
1989 Gainesville
1990 Miami
1991 Bradenton
1992 West Palm Beach
1993-94 Tallahassee
1995-96 Gainesville
1997-98 Kissimmee/St. Cloud
1999 Tampa
2000 Lakeland (Spring); Gainesville (Summer)
2001 Lakeland (Spring); Orlando (Summer)
2002 Lakeland (Spring); Palm Beach County (Summer)
2003 Lakeland (Spring); Tampa (Summer)
2004 Tallahassee (Summer) 25th Anniversary
2005 Broward County (Summer Games)
2006 Miami-Dade County (Summer Games)
2007-08 Polk County (Summer Games)