Impact Update for Thursday, June 26

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel (right) and Alex Martins (left) at a press conference for the Osceola Magic, NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic

"...[Alex] Martins checks all the boxes. He’s been an ambassador, a negotiator, a fundraiser, a visionary, a steward and — when the DeVos family needed him to be — a shield from public criticism. When you build arenas, uplift nonprofits, shepherd a franchise through economic, civic, and cultural milestones, the scoreboard may not always tell your story. In a city defined by growth, few have grown with Orlando — or given more to it — than Alex Martins."

-Mike Bianchi

Orlando Sentinel

Quote of the Day

"Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts."

-Dan Gable

American Wrestler & Coach

Across the Board (Of Directors)

• Congratulations to Casandra Matej, Greater Orlando Sports Commission Board Member Lisa Messina, and our partners at Visit Orlando on welcoming 75,333,800 visitors in 2024, an increase of 1.8% over 2023.
• Congratulations to GOSC Board Member Amy Wise on her recent promotion Senior Vice President, Global Marketing at Special Olympics.
• Congratulations to GOSC Board Member Jessi Blakley at Tavistock Group on their securing of Target, Nordstrom Rack, Barnes & Noble, Total Wine & More, Homesense, and more for their Spring 2026 project named Lake Nona West.
• Congratulations to GOSC Board Member BJ Taylor on recently being named to UCF's 30 Under 30 class.
• Congratulations to GOSC Board Member Jay Galbraith on his recent announcement of starting as President at Tranquility Insight.

Around The Horn

• Alex Martins has announced he is stepping down from his role as CEO of the Orlando Magic, a position he has held for the last 14 years. Martins will be transitioning into a newly created position of vice chair as team ownership begins ushering in the next generation of DeVos family leadership. With Martins no longer running the day-to-day operations of the franchise, GO Sports board member Ryan DeVos and Charlie Freeman step into larger leadership roles.
• The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup continued in Orlando today as Manchester City defeated Juventus FC 5-2 at Camping World Stadium in front of a crowd of 54,320. Camping World Stadium has a Round of 16 match scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, and a Quarterfinals match on Friday, July 4. Don't miss your chance to witness history, purchase your tickets today!
• Orlando City SC secured a 4-2 victory over St. Louis City SC on Wednesday night, marking the Club's second consecutive road victory and extending their unbeaten streak on the road to eight of the last nine matches. The Lions (9-4-6, 33 points) return to Inter&Co Stadium this Saturday, June 28 for a 7:30pm match against Cincinnati FC.
• The Orlando Magic selected Jase Richardson from Michigan State with the 25th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists during 36 games, but saw his scoring jump to 16.1 points per game when he was inserted into the starting lineup. By landing Richardson, Orlando adds an efficient scorer who shot 41.2% from 3-point range in one year with the Spartans.
• The Orlando Pride and midfielder Haley McCutcheon have agreed to a new contract through the 2028 season. McCutcheon joined the Pride in the middle of the 2022 season via trade from the Houston Dash and has since been featured in 73 matches for the Club. The 29-year-old was a key member of the record-breaking Pride team that won the NWSL Shield and Championship last season, scoring in both the quarterfinal and semifinal of the NWSL Playoffs.
• UCF Football has unveiled several updates to its 2025-26 Nike core uniforms. The updates feature a nod towards the program's history, including the introduction of a new typeface font called Knighted Eras. The new uniforms are based on the Nike Vapor F.U.S.E. templates, which have been used by college and NFL teams.
• The Winter Park Volleyball Club 17 Armour Black team defeated Far Out 17 of Michigan to claim the AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championship. WPVC, armed with five members of the Winter Park High team that won the Class 7A State Championship in November, went 11-0 over four days to make history.

Montverde Academy has made history once again with four of its alumni selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. The historic night showcased the sheer talent coming out of Montverde and the bond shared among the former teammates, who led the Eagles to an undefeated 33–0 National Championship season in 2023–24.

"All of us at Montverde Academy are filled with pride and excitement for Cooper, Derik, Asa, and Liam. These four incredible young men have not only reached the doorstep of their basketball dreams but have also left a lasting legacy on our campus—highlighted by their unforgettable run to the 2024 National Championship."

- Jon Hopman

Head of School, Montverde Academy

Around Town

• The Kia Center has been ranked one of the top five stadiums in the United States for fan satisfaction, according to a new national study conducted by online gaming analysts. Based on an analysis of TripAdvisor reviews for NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL venues, the Kia Center placed fifth overall, and was the highest-ranking NBA arena in the country. The venue received 75.6% five-star reviews out of 2,475 total ratings — a testament to its fan-friendly design, energetic atmosphere, and positive game-day experiences.
• Florida public school students showed significant growth on mathematics and reading exams this year, improving their passing rates on the high-stakes test compared to last year, according to the Florida Department of Education. Students from Orange, Osceola, Lake and Seminole county public schools mirrored the state trend, passing the exams at rates between four and five percentage points higher across all grade levels.
• Temenos, a global leader in banking technology, announced its new U.S. Innovation Hub will be in the heart of downtown Orlando making significant investment in the region's growing technology ecosystem and financial services sector. Temenos plans to recruit high-skilled talent for the Innovation Hub, and has already created 50 initial high-skilled tech jobs with a potential expansion in the near future.
• May was a milestone month at Addition Financial Arena, driven by a powerful stretch of commencement ceremonies that brought over 165,000 guests through its doors. With a packed schedule of high school and college graduations, along with two major live events, the arena served as a hub for celebration and community throughout the month. In total, the arena hosted 11 college commencement ceremonies and 28 high school graduations.
• Downtown Orlando will continue to have live music, art exhibits and other forms of entertainment with the recent renewal of the DTOLive program. United Arts of Central Florida and Orlando's Downtown Development Board partner together on the program, which brought hundreds of free performances to public spaces in its pilot year. Performances will take place during lunchtime Tuesdays-Thursdays, as well as during 4:30-6:30pm “social hours” on select days.
• A proposed pedestrian bridge on International Drive is moving forward to its next stage, according to Orlando Business Journal. Orange County Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 17 to advance a study for the $35.63 million project, which includes the preferred design. The approval allows the county staff to move forward with the design, right-of-way acquisition and construction phases of the overpass, which will be funded by the International Drive CRA.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup continued in Orlando today as Manchester City defeated Juventus FC 5-2 at Camping World Stadium in front of a crowd of 54,320. Camping World Stadium will also host a Round of 16 match on Monday, June 30, and a Quarterfinals match on Friday, July 4.

Don't miss your chance to be part of history, click the graphic above or the link below to secure your tickets today!

GO Sports is proud to announce the 7th annual Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute will be hosted at Addition Financial Arena on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. This year's featured speaker is 3x Olympic Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist, Misty May-Treanor!

In addition to Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute returning as the presenting sponsor, Florida Blue is returning as the sponsor of the featured speaker's fireside chat. Last year’s luncheon sold out with more than 725 guests in attendance.

All Around

• Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer invites you to celebrate the July 4th holiday, and Orlando's 150th anniversary, at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando for the 48th annual Fireworks at the Fountain event. From 4:00-10:00pm, guests can enjoy live entertainment, family friendly fun, and food & beverage for purchase from a variety of vendors. At approximately 9:10pm, the sky will illuminate with a spectacular fireworks finale.
• Universal Orlando has released single-night tickets and additional event add-ons for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, taking place from Friday, August 29 through Sunday, November 2. Single-night tickets start at $82.99, with the Express Pass option starting at $139.99 per person. Multi-night tickets, such as the Frequent Fear Pass, will be available for purchase at a later date.
• Walt Disney World's new nighttime parade, "Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away," will debut at Magic Kingdom on Sunday, July 20. Disney recently revealed another float design for “Starlight,” and that unit features a locomotive engineered by Goofy, followed by Pluto, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Snow White, Dopey, Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Aladdin and Jasmine. The parade will begin on Main Street U.S.A. and travel the parade route towards Frontierland.
• SeaWorld Orlando announced its new stage show "Hydro Surge" is now performing daily in the theme park. The production features live singers, dancers, gymnasts (aerial and grounded), puppeteers, a drummer and a variety of special effects. There’s a watery theme in song selection, costuming and the images on the enormous backdrop screen in the park’s Nautilus Theater.
• From world-famous restaurants and attractions to shopping venues and live shows, there is something for everyone at ICON Park. Whether you want to take a spin on The Orlando Eye or explore Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, ICON Park offers a fun family experience for all ages. Visit their website to learn more and purchase your attraction tickets ahead of time.
• The new Sea Life Aquarium at Legoland Florida Resort has officially opened and combines marine education with interactive experiences for all ages. Dubbed “The Theme Park Under the Sea,” the attraction includes unique-to-Florida zones such as Stingray Bay, the Seahorse Nursery, and an Ocean Tunnel offering visitors 180-degree views of marine life. Visit the Legoland website for more information and to purchase tickets.
• Tony Award-winning musical comedy "Shucked" is coming to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Tonight, June 26 and will continue performing until Sunday, June 29. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.
• Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community

The GO Sports team at the LAFC vs CR Flamengo FIFA Club World Cup match at Camping World Stadium alongside hundreds of our regional partners and stakeholders.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel provided remarks and welcomed athletes to Training Camp for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games at the Aloft Orlando Lake Nona Hotel.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel was interviewed by Greg Warmoth of WFTV Channel 9 to discuss investment in infrastructure and sporting events being hosted in Orlando.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the AAU Orlando Partners Reception at the Orange County Convention Center, pictured with Jo Mirza and Joe Jablonski (AAU), and Mark Tester and Eric Blanc (OCCC).

GO Sports Executive VP's Brent Nelson and Michael Kalinich attended the ECHL Hockey Summer Meetings at ICON Park, pictured with City of Orlando Commissioner Shan Rose (District 5) and Ryan Crelin (ECHL).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel welcomed athletes to Training Camp for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, pictured with Pedro Rosario Diaz (Orlando Health).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Chairman Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride) attended the Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns FC FIFA Club World Cup match at Inter&Co Stadium, pictured with Dan Flynn (FIFA).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel was interviewed by Stewart Moore on WESH 2 News to discuss all of the sporting events coming to Orlando.

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partner, Addition Financial! For more information, click the logo above.

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Lake County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Orange County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Osceola County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Seminole County Things To Do