The 7 Elite Academy International Tournament will host games at the spectacular 10,500-seater Greater Zion stadium in St George next year.
The tournament, which takes place across St George and Mesquite on February 4-7, will feature youth soccer teams from some of the best leagues in the world.
For the first time, finals in some of the older age groups – as well as the popular Pre Academy Tournament – will be held at Utah Tech’s Greater Zion stadium. The full list of age groups involved will be announced closer to the tournament.
It is the home field of the Utah Tech Trailblazers football and soccer programs, and is known as the biggest college soccer stadium in Southern Utah.
In 2026, the 7 Elite Academy International Tournament welcomed over 450 teams from the USA, UK, Europe, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand to Utah, with more expected in 2027.
Nick Nield, 7 Elite Academy Tournament Director, said: “It is absolutely brilliant that we have the opportunity to stage our Pre Academy Tournament and some of our finals games at such a fantastic venue.
“The Greater Zion Stadium is a landmark in St George and central to most sporting activity in the city. I can’t wait to see our tournament take place there.
“We work very closely with the staff at Utah Tech in all aspects of youth soccer and using the stadium is a great honor for everyone involved.
“There will be some great teams from across the world playing against some of the best teams in our region, so I encourage as many people as possible to come along and enjoy the atmosphere.”
The Pre Academy Tournament for players aged five thru eight will be held on Saturday, February 6, while the finals for older age groups will be staged the following day.
The 7 Elite Academy International Tournament is one of the biggest youth soccer events in the regions with age groups for boys and girls from Pre Academy thru to Under-19s.
It is regarded as a hot spot for college scouts and recruiters.
Anthony Godfrey, 7 Elite Academy Global Director, added: “It is a huge step up for us as a tournament and as an academy, to be hosting games at the iconic Greater Zion Stadium in St George.
“Our close working links with Utah Tech have made this possible and I can’t thank the staff enough for their help. We’ll have fantastic facilities, entertainment and food on offer.
“By moving finals for some of the older age groups to this stadium, as well as the Pre Academy Tournament, we are making a statement that our tournament is now the biggest and best in the region.
“The fact that we’re playing in one of the biggest college soccer stadiums in Utah means we will attract more college recruiters to visit and watch the undoubted talent on show.”