Teenagers from across the country will descend upon Ohio for the first iteration of President Donald Trump’s Patriot Games starting this Sunday, with a $250,000 scholarship fund on the line for two winners.
The games are set for Sunday through Tuesday in Geneva, Ohio, and will be broadcast on ESPN. The network shared the schedule Thursday.
Until that announcement, however, it was unclear what the events would be, and the final lineup is reminiscent of a grade school field day.
Trump first announced the Patriot Games in December as part of celebrations marking the nation’s 250th birthday. He originally said the competition would be in Washington, D.C., but SPIRE Academy, located outside Cleveland, announced last month that it would host instead.
Each state is expected to send one boy and one girl to compete, between 14 and 17 years old. Teens from tribal nations and U.S. territories were also eligible. The White House has not said whether Trump will attend.
Sunday’s slate features a “Presidential Qualifier” event, then moves on to dodgeball and kickball. Monday will have competitions titled “Varsity Circuit” and “Operation Endurance,” but ESPN has not said what those will entail. Tuesday’s lineup includes tug-of-war and pop-a-shot, a classic arcade-style basketball game where the teens will try to sink shots as quickly as possible. Finalists will then face off in “an obstacle course designed to test strategy and skill.”
“The athletes will be tested on the skills from the Presidential Fitness Test (and) go through a military-inspired boot camp circuit,” ESPN’s announcement stated.
ESPN’s news release laying out the tournament said it will “include elements from football, basketball, soccer, track and more.” Some of the events will involve teams, but the network did not say which.
Live coverage of the Patriot Games begins at 9 a.m. ET Sunday, 11 a.m. ET on Monday and 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday. A one-hour special on ESPN and ABC will recap the event Thursday night.
