The United States Australian Football League is bringing its National Championship back to Warren County, with the 2027 tournament set to run from Friday, October 15 through Sunday, October 17 at Lebanon Sports Complex. Organizers expect nearly 1,000 participants and more than 40 teams to descend on the 900 McClure Road venue for a weekend of Aussie rules football, marking the league's 30th anniversary.
The USAFL and the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau jointly announced the championship dates and venue, according to the Dayton Daily News. It will be the third time the county has hosted the national tournament, after previously welcoming the event in 2009 and 2012. Per the same release, the 2027 nationals are expected to generate more than $2 million in regional economic impact.
USAFL Executive Director Doren James said the nationals began in the greater Cincinnati region, and framed the 2027 event as a chance to honor league pioneers while celebrating clubs, players and volunteers. The choice of Warren County for the anniversary carnival ties the league's origins directly to the place where it's returning to celebrate three decades of competition.
Local Officials Point to Past Success
Scott Hofmann, speaking for the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said previous USAFL events in the county were memorable and fun-filled, adding that the bureau is eager to host again. Hofmann also said the championship will significantly impact the sporting community and Warren County more broadly, per the same report.
Lebanon City Manager Scott Brunka echoed that enthusiasm, saying the city is excited to host the 2027 USAFL nationals at the Lebanon Sports Complex. The bureau's sports tourism branch is expected to play a significant role in coordinating the event, the outlet's report notes.
A Venue Built for Multi-Sport Hosting
Lebanon Sports Complex houses 18 multipurpose soccer fields that organizers describe as highly adaptable for a variety of sports, according to Ohio's Largest Playground. That flexibility makes the complex adaptable for a variety of sports.
The USAFL says it will announce additional event programming and volunteer opportunities in the coming months, leaving specifics about the 2027 weekend still to come. For now, the league and county officials are working from projections rather than confirmed turnout figures.
How Past Nationals Have Stacked Up
Other recent USAFL nationals offer some points of comparison, though no long-term trend can be drawn from them. The 2021 championship in Austin, Texas, was expected to bring more than 40 teams and 1,000 players to the Onion Creek Soccer Fields, with total attendance estimated near 2,000 and an anticipated economic impact of more than $1.5 million for that city, according to usafl.com. That marked Austin's fourth turn hosting the tournament, following earlier runs in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
More recently, a Playeasy listing for the 2026 USAFL Nationals put the dates at October 9 through 11, 2026, with at least 1,300 players expected and roughly 2,000 total club members, including coaches and support staff, projected to attend. That listing put the tournament's projected economic impact at more than $1.5 million, with upwards of 80 games played across men's and women's divisions, per playeasy.com.
The league's 2024 nationals also streamed a record 36 games live, including the men's D1 through D4 grand finals and the women's grand final, with 19 USAFL clubs and two AFL Canada clubs taking part in that year's women's competition, according to the governing body's own event listings. Those figures give Warren County residents a sense of scale as they prepare to host the sport's biggest annual gathering once again in less than a year.
