SMSG Open Today

When the Show-Me State Games began in 1985 the number of athletes were in the hundreds. Today, the state games attract enough people to fill the Hearnes Center almost twice. Organizers are expecting over 25,000 competitors in 39 different sports as the games get underway today. Opening ceremonies are tonight at the Hearnes Center where former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman will be the featured speaker. The Games are not only a celebration of athletic spirit, but it’s also a shot in the arm to the Mid-Missouri economy. Last year the games brought in around $8-million to Columbia and $18-million to mid-Missouri.