National Championship Quadball Tournament Coming to the Placer Valley Soccer Complex in April 2026

ROSEVILLE, Calif. -- US Quadball, the association that oversees the action-packed sport that evolved from the Harry Potter novels, will hold its annual national championship tournament April 18-19 at the new Placer Valley Soccer Complex, bringing about 1,200 athletes and $2.3 million to the region.

About 60 teams, from the Bay Area to New England, will compete in the Quadball Cup, which has never been west of Utah since starting in 2007. Several hundred fans are also expected for the two-day tournament.

“Roseville is thrilled to be the host city for the US Quadball Cup in spring 2026,” said Roseville Mayor Krista Bernasconi. “As one of the first major tournaments at our new Placer Valley Soccer Complex, it showcases our commitment to attract diverse sporting events to the area – events that inspire community spirit and support our local economy.”

Placer Valley Tourism has been pushing for the Quadball Cup the past few years, hosting the sport’s West Coast national qualifier tournament five times since 2013, including the past two years.

“We’ve always wanted to move the tournament around the country,” said Shirley Lu, interim Chief Operating Officer of US Quadball and a longtime player of the sport. “The new soccer facility was a huge part of the decision. But it’s also because of how often we go to Placer Valley. It’s just a very good fit.”

The Placer Valley Soccer Complex, a state-of-the art facility with 10 artificial turf fields in west Roseville scheduled to open in early 2026, checked many of the boxes that US Quadball wanted for the national championship tournament.

“The Quadball Cup is an important milestone for the community and showcases the kind of major sporting events that we can host,” said Kim Summers, CEO of Placer Valley Tourism and @the Grounds, home of the Roebbelen Center in Roseville. “The Placer Valley Soccer Complex opens the door to more sports and new opportunities that will bring more guests and revenue to the region.”

In addition to the Placer Valley Soccer Complex, the region boasts a hard-to-beat location -- a half-hour from Sacramento International Airport and a few hours from three other large airports along with popular tourist destinations such as Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and Yosemite, Lu said. Placer Valley also offers a long list of amenities, from award-winning restaurants and wineries to a wide range of hotels.

Placer Valley Tourism has become a leader in amateur and professional sports events, thanks largely to the Roebbelen Center that opened five years ago located @the Grounds. Placer Valley Tourism booked 41,900 hotel room nights last year, a 10% increase compared to 2023. Many of those hotel rooms were related to sporting events.

The Placer Valley Soccer Complex will help the organization attract more sports to the region -- including flag football, field hockey, lacrosse, and rugby – while filling hotel rooms and restaurants.

“Quadball includes elements of some of the other sports that we will bring to the Placer Valley Soccer Complex,” Summers said. “The soccer complex can be used in so many ways.”

Quadball is a mixed-gender sport that combines dodgeball, flag football and rugby on a field where athletes must carry a broom (represented by a PVC pipe) between their legs, much like the wizards in the Harry Potter novels and later the blockbuster movies. A volleyball is tossed through raised hoops on the field for scoring and three dodgeballs are used to hit opponents. A yellow flag attached to a fast-running official offers late-in-the-match bonus points and an opportunity for the team behind to catch up quickly – or the leading team to secure the win.

Each team has seven players on the pitch. Players, regardless of their gender, face the same challenges, from getting hit by a dodgeball to being tackled. You can learn more about quadball in a four-minute video at https://www.usquadball.org/how-to-play.

“It’s many games rolled into one,” said Chloe Foo, co-captain of Cal Quadball at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s a very diverse sport, a very level playing field.”

Quadball, formerly known as Quidditch in the pages of the Harry Potter novels, has about 60 club and college teams nationwide, with many in the Northeast. Some games are livestreamed and ESPN+ broadcast the Quadball Cup in April from Richmond, Va., helping the sport gain more fans and followers.

“It was the most fun I’ve had watching a sport in a long time,” retired Philadelphia Eagles center-turned-football TV analyst Jason Kelce said on his New Heights podcast with brother Travis Kelce, an all-pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. “It’s fantastic.”

US Quadball officials appreciate the enthusiasm and hope the exposure generates more interest in quadball. The future of the sport requires more teams and players – and that growth rests in the West, where some teams folded during the pandemic.

Quadball Cup 2026 could help accomplish that goal, especially with Sacramento State University and University of California, Davis, being a short drive from west Roseville.

“We need to get more people to learn about the sport and play,” said Lu, who started playing while attending Wellesley College near Boston. “We need to have a presence on these campuses. We can help (teams) grow and get better.”

But they must first hear of – and learn about – quadball.

“It’s the greatest sport in the world,” said Lindsey Simpson, head captain and player for the Lost Boys Quadball Club in Southern California. She has competed the past two years in the West Coast national qualifiers in Roseville. “Quadball is unique and wonderful.”

And an important part of Placer Valley and the opening of the Placer Valley Soccer Complex.

“Placer Valley Tourism has been involved in quadball from its early beginnings,” Summers said. “We have grown together and are looking forward to hosting the Quadball Cup.”

About @the Grounds

@the Grounds is a multipurpose event facility on 61 acres in the heart of Roseville, California. @the Grounds includes the Roebbelen Center, a 160,000-square-foot event center that can accommodate major amateur sports competitions, large meetings, trade shows, concerts and other events. For more than 80 years, @the Grounds has been the home of the Placer County Fair – an annual celebration of the diversity of the community – along with countless other community, family and corporate gatherings. @the Grounds is the business entity of Placer Valley Sports Complex, a 501(c)3. For more information, please visit https://www.atthegrounds.com/.

About Placer Valley Tourism

Placer Valley Tourism is a Business Improvement District that serves South Placer County and the cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln. The BID operates to help generate incremental room night stays in hotels within Placer Valley Tourism’s geographic footprint through various conferences and youth and amateur sports events. PVT aims to coordinate community and sports events with the best hospitality options in the region. Placer Valley Tourism is a nonprofit and classified as a 501(c)6. For more information, please visit https://www.placertourism.com/.

About US Quadball

US Quadball is the national governing body for the sport of Quadball™. USQ advances the sport by organizing events and programs that build community and empower adult and youth athletes of all identities, including all races and genders, to compete together. A 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010, US Quadball serves college and club teams nationwide by providing a range of programs and services. These include hosting qualifiers and a national championship; supervising regular season competition; supporting and certifying officials, coaches, and tournament directors; offering grants; and promoting opportunities to expand the sport into younger age groups ranging from elementary, middle, and high school levels. Membership in USQ is open to teams and individuals in the United States. For more information, please visit usquadball.org