You know your college has reached a new level of impact when the national spotlight shines on campus in a new way, drawing in ESPN+ and The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. Even more so when it’s a military event in a military town and your liberal arts college is the first non-service-academy to land the contract as the main venue for the 2025 Department of Defense Warrior Games.

How did CC do it? It comes down to the right people and the right timing. Colorado Springs, also known as Olympic City USA, has built its identity on the sports economy. Here, there are multiple opportunities to assist with the City’s vision of attracting national and global events. CC Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine has been key in making the pivotal connections.

“It takes relationships—the ability to know one another and support each other’s goals,” Irvine says. “We’ve built critical relationships with Colorado Springs Sports Corporation (Sports Corp) and the City. They’d been in talks with the Department of Defense. Sports Corp called us and asked if we’d be interested in being considered as the primary site for the Games. Not only do we pride ourselves on being entrepreneurial at CC, but the Warrior Games aligns with the College’s priorities of supporting the local community. We leaned in and here we are!”

Ed Robson Arena played a big part in sealing the deal for CC. As the anchor facility for the Warrior Games, the 3,400-seat arena is the ideal size to host a variety of activities.

“Everyone knows it to be a championship space for a hockey program, but Robson can host a lot of other events that give us national and global exposure,” says Irvine. “It’s really gratifying to see the vision of the building come to life. We received $20 million in state funds to help build it and we want to ensure the arena is utilized for events that will bring the city national exposure and out of state visitors.”

Robson’s size and amenities were very attractive to the Department of Defense team in planning the Games, in addition to having Reid Arena for overflow along with the rest of the El Pomar Sports Complex, fields, and other buildings on campus. Combine those assets with CC’s central location and proximity to downtown hotels and restaurants for the DoD’s 200 athletes and families, and you have a winning combination. Add CC alum and Sports Corp’s Senior Director of Sports Tourism & Olympic Engagement Davis Tutt '15 to the mix and you secure the gold medal.

“It’s really exciting for me to bring these types of events to CC,” says Tutt. “As head of the sports commission for the city, I get to advocate on behalf of places like Ed Robson Arena, Weidner Field, and the Air Force Academy. I suppose I have more vested interest in getting things to CC as an alum and season ticket holder and as someone who loves and supports the school wholeheartedly.”

Tutt has the enviable job of pitching Colorado Springs as the destination for sports tourism, handling the bids and negotiations for sports projects. It helps to have the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic (USOP) Committee headquarters here, along with 25 National Governing Bodies of sport, the USOP Training Center, and the USOP Museum.

“We started the conversation about the Warrior Games a year and a half ago,” explains Tutt. “The City always wanted the Games to come back to town. We used our history as a multi-time host since the Springs had proven itself from 2010-2014 and again in 2018.”

Tutt and Irvine also worked together to secure a two-year contract to host the USA Weightlifting Championships at Robson in 2023 and 2025, along with the International Jump Rope Championships in the summer of 2023.

“We had 3,000 students at the jump rope event from 32 countries. Those are potential future students,” adds Irvine. “These events draw people who otherwise wouldn’t come to campus. We are being strategic that way.” 

Irvine says the relationship with Sports Corp has blossomed into a partnership for which she is very grateful. There are a number of CC students interning with the nonprofit this summer. “It’s special working with Davis Tutt. He’s a very proud alum and proud of the fact that CC is such a strong partner.”

Summers on campus are busier than ever. Irvine says she has immense gratitude for the campus community who’ve stepped up to support the Games.

“The planning and execution of the Warrior Games has been a monumental opportunity. I take my leadership role seriously in being able to ensure we can do this,” Irvine says. “I can’t think of an event we’ve hosted on campus that’s had nearly every division present. I want to give credit to the spirit of CC, of the leadership here. We do courageous things. We think outside the box. I think it’s cool that we’re a campus that embraces experiences like this and finds a way to make it happen. If you can dream it, you have a shot at doing it here. That’s not the case at every institution of higher ed.”

“Lesley has really championed it within the CC community,” adds Tutt. “The success of the event would not be possible without Lesley and her staff. They’ve really taken on the project and gotten people on board with it, encouraging them to see the benefit of an event of this magnitude.”

Tutt also feels his connection to growing up in Colorado Springs as having a big impact on his desire to see the city expand, a family legacy he continues.

“My great-great-great grandfather, Charles Leaming Tutt Sr., was a real estate and mining magnate who was childhood friends with Spencer Penrose. My dad, R. Thayer Tutt Jr., is a fourth-generation manager of the El Pomar Foundation. I love sports, from amateur to the Olympics, so being able to help Colorado Springs grow from an economic lens through sport I get to carry on my family’s legacy of the development of this city. And it’s exciting to be able to give back to my alma mater from an athletics lens.”

Where is Irvine setting her sights on next?

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we can host an Olympic event someday?” Irvine muses. “With so many national governing bodies here in the Springs, I do love the idea of having more of these national championships here. International competition would be amazing and a huge draw. I think that’s something that would be fun to do.”