The Northwest Sports Hub in Centralia is reeling in sports tourism like never before in 2026.
During a Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce “sports and tourism” forum at the sports complex Thursday morning, Dale Pullin, co-operator and co-visionary of the facility, gave a tour to community members and outlined the combined goals of the sports hub and the Twin Cities Sports Commission for 2026.
According to 2025 data provided by Pullin to attendees, the sports hub created $82,950 in estimated hotel revenue and a total public benefit of $17,008,752, using a feasibility study for the latter amount.
The public benefit number has increased in each of the last four years, up from $12.6 million in 2024, $11.97 million in 2023, and $10.1 million in 2022. Through February, the sports hub already produced $3.68 million in public benefits, giving it a pace to create $22.1 million in public benefits by the end of the year.
“2026 is going to be a blowout year,” Pullin, who operates the indoor operations of the sports hub along with Centralia native and former MLB player Lyle Overbay, said. “We’re moving really further ahead.”
The sports hub’s major focus in 2026 is to build deeper partnerships with local businesses, nonprofit organizations and schools. Officials are finding opportunities to pair tournaments with community fundraisers, scholarship drives and cause-based events that keep dollars circulating locally.
“This was presented with, ‘Everybody wins.’ The community wins by having much more upgraded and improved facilities. The businesses win by attracting new people here,” Pullin said. “We want to contribute to the local community by driving revenue into their facilities.”
Not only are the amount of sports tournaments growing but the volume of teams and visitors to Centralia is increasing at a high rate, Pullin said. This weekend, the sports hub will have teams playing on 19 volleyball courts in the gym, hosting thousands of people. Next weekend, 1,300 wrestlers will compete in a tournament, and another 1,700 wrestlers will grapple the following weekend. Baseball and pickleball competition is also taking place at the complex this spring.
The sports hub is also creating tournaments for time periods when it typically hasn’t been able to attract visitors and athletes, such as Labor Day and Independence Day. Pullin said the sports hub is hosting a three-on-three basketball tournament featuring 500 teams Labor Day weekend. It will also host “Baseball Mania” the weekend of July 4 as part of a four-day event with 150 teams and carnival events.
“Our new focus is really building that experience. When they come here, they go, ‘This is an awesome place. We want to come back.’ I never really knew how powerful that was before,” Pullin said.
During the tour, Pullin showed community members the kitchen, vinyl floor area that can be turned into various courts for multiple tournaments at the same time and the sports commission office.
At the end of the tour, Pullin said the ultimate goal for the sports hub is to continue growing and separating itself as the premier sports hub in the Pacific Northwest.
“The worst enemy we have is complacency, not getting to the next program, not getting to the next level,” he said. “I can assure you that every community in the state of Washington wants exactly what this community has. They’re working very hard to create and develop it. There is only so much market to live within. The experience has to be developed now to maintain and keep up the growth and development of the future.”
The Northwest Sports Hub is located at 701 Allen Ave. in Centralia. To learn more, visit https://www.nwsportshub.com/.
