Orlando

Central Florida Sports Commission Rebrands to Greater Orlando Sports Commission, Highlighting the Region’s World-Class Facilities, Events and Experiences

Published

8 years ago

October 2, 2018

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Central Florida Sports Commission (CFSC) – a private, non-profit organization dedicated to attracting and managing world-class sporting events and driving economic impact in the Greater Orlando area (the City of Orlando, Lake County, Orange County, Osceola County, and Seminole County) – today unveiled its new brand and website – Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) and GreaterOrlandoSports.com. GO Sports aims to promote and elevate Greater Orlando’s vibrant community and feature a name which global audiences can identify with hosting major marquee and pro sports events at the major amateur, collegiate, professional and Olympic levels, such as the 2017 NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship, WrestleMania 33 in 2017, the 2019-2020 Monster Jam World Finals, the 2019 MLS All-Star Game and potentially the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Today, as CFSC becomes the Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports), it is with pride that we look back and recognize the accomplishments of this organization over its first 25 years,” noted Dan Malasky, outgoing Chairman of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “CFSC was founded in 1993 as a means to help facilitate the 1994 FIFA World Cup games in Orlando and has since helped Greater Orlando become one of the top sports destinations in the world. We are excited to see GO Sports continue to build off of this momentum and take Greater Orlando to even greater heights.”

The Greater Orlando area has long been known for its renowned hospitality, world-class attractions, international airports and famed experiences making it a globally recognized destination. With a new name and look, the GO Sports executive team is laser-focused on amplifying the Greater Orlando destination, which is home to more than thirty (30) of the country’s most prestigious and wide-ranging sports event facilities, including but not limited to Amway Center, Camping World Stadium, Orlando City Stadium, USTA National Campus, Spectrum Stadium, Bay Hill and Mission Inn golf courses, the National Training Center, Boombah Sports Complex, and Osceola Heritage Park.

“It is our mission to bring world-class sports and entertainment events to Orlando for the enjoyment of our local community and out of state and international visitors,” says Jason Siegel, CEO of Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “This rebrand provides clarity when we market our destination to event organizers around the globe and recruit major events to Greater Orlando – offering a “terrain for every game” while driving economic impact via sports tourism to the region.”

GO Sports selected Uproar PR – an international, full-service public relations, digital and creative agency – to lead the rebrand and design transformation.

“Our design team was honored and thrilled to strategize and create a compelling and unifying logo for the Greater Orlando Sports Commission,” says Mike Harris, President & COO of Uproar PR. “It was our goal to create a logo and brand that would enhance the mission of GO Sports and emphasize the prominent venues the Greater Orlando area offers and engage communities, visitors, businesses, sporting organizations and influencers.”

With a passion for sports, GO Sports wanted to create a unique and visually stunning logo that would captivate the essence of the Greater Orlando area and the sporting world. The logo was specifically designed with a natural green and vibrant blue to reflect the terrain each sport is played on – grass, turf and water.

The rebrand will boost the company’s 25-year evolution into a globally recognized sporting events authority. Since, 1993, the company has hosted or co-hosted more than 1,240 events in the Greater Orlando area and exceeding $1.4 billion in economic impact for the region.

“The Greater Orlando Sports Commission is a group of dedicated citizens, committed to driving economic development to Orlando through some of the most exciting, most dynamic and most fun sports on the planet,” said Jackie Hayter, Chair-Elect of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “We will continue to advance the sports we bring to the region to benefit our citizens. This new identity for the Sports Commission reflects our commitment to the community to move to the next level in drawing sporting events such as the MLS All Star Game and the FIFA World Cup to our region.”

For more information about GO Sports, please visit GreaterOrlandoSports.com.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.