Staying Active November 13, 2026

National Senior Games: Who Can Compete and How to Qualify

Mark Godfrey

The National Senior Games are a multi-sport competition for adults aged 50 and older, held every two years in a different US city. The next Games take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from June 30 to July 11, 2027, and registration is already open. Some events require you to qualify at a state competition first. Others are open to anyone who meets the age rule. This guide explains how the system works, what it costs to enter, and how a first-timer can take part.

What the National Senior Games are

The Games are run by the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), a nonprofit that promotes competitive sports, fitness and active aging for adults 50 and over. NSGA describes the event as a biennial competition, which means it happens every two years.

According to the NSGA history page, the organization began in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1985, when a group of seven men and women formed its first leadership. It was first called the US National Senior Sports Organization. The first Games were held in St. Louis in 1987 and drew 2,500 competitors.

You may hear people call the event the Senior Olympics. The history page explains that the United States Olympic Committee objected to the use of the word "Olympic" in the group's name. An agreement was reached in 1990, and the organization became the National Senior Games Association.

The most recent Games were held in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2025. NSGA's history table lists 25 sports and 12,532 athletes for that year.

Who can take part

The age rule is simple. The 2027 rulebook says athletes must be 50 years of age on or before December 31, 2026, to be eligible for the 2027 Games. The oldest division is 100 and over.

Age divisions

You compete against people close to your own age. For individual sports, the rulebook sets five-year divisions for both men and women: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95-99 and 100+.

Your division at the 2027 Games is based on your age as of December 31, 2027.

Team sports use broader groups: 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+ and 75+. A team is placed by the age of its youngest player. In doubles, the younger partner's age decides the division.

Which sports are offered

NSGA splits its sports into two kinds of events.

Qualifying events require you to earn a place at a state competition the year before. These include archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, pickleball, the 5K and 10K road races, shuffleboard, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, triathlon and volleyball.

Open events have no qualifying step. You register and take part. The NSGA FAQ lists them, and they include basketball shooting skills, beach volleyball, billiards, bocce, climbing, cornhole, disc golf, flag football, golf scramble, powerlifting, power walk, the 1-mile road race and tai chi.

Some sports have both. Road race is the clearest example. The 1-mile is open, and the 5K and 10K are qualifying events.

The rulebook also limits how much you can enter. Athletes may enter no more than two qualifying individual sports and two qualifying team sports.

Event	Type	How you get in
Swimming	Qualifying	Finish in the top four of your age group at a state games, or meet the minimum performance standard
Golf	Qualifying	Finish first or second, or meet the minimum performance standard
Pickleball	Qualifying	Finish first to third in your age group and skill division
Road race, 5K and 10K	Qualifying	All finishers at a state games qualify
Basketball, softball, volleyball	Qualifying, team	Top three teams in each age group and skill division
Road race, 1-mile	Open	No qualifying. Flat entry fee of $25
Bocce	Open	No qualifying. Flat entry fee of $100
Tai chi	Open	No qualifying. Flat entry fee of $75

How qualifying through state games works

NSGA has 51 member organizations and one associate member. Each runs a state games that serves as a qualifier, according to the State Games Information page.

The timing matters. To compete at the national level in most sports, you must qualify at a state senior games in the preceding even-numbered year. For the 2027 Games, the rulebook sets the qualifying period as January 1 through December 31, 2026.

In most sports, the top four finishers in each age group qualify. Four sports also have minimum performance standards: archery, golf, swimming, and track and field. If you meet the standard time or score, you qualify even without a top-four finish.

You are not limited to your home state. The FAQ says you can qualify in the state you live in or in any state that accepts out-of-state competitors. After a state games ends, the organizers send results to NSGA for verification. Qualifiers then get a notice and certificate by email.

One more point from the FAQ: winning a medal at the 2025 Games does not automatically qualify anyone for 2027.

A state games example

State games are organized independently, so dates and sports vary. NSGA's Florida page lists the Florida Senior Games for December 5-13, 2026, in Pasco County, with out-of-state athletes allowed. Its sports list includes swimming, golf, pickleball, tennis, and track and field. That puts it late in the 2026 qualifying year. NSGA asks athletes to confirm details on each state's own website.

The 2027 Games in Tulsa

The 2027 Games page confirms the dates as June 30 to July 11, 2027, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Games after that are listed for Birmingham in 2029.

Registration dates and fees

Registration is open now. The registration page lists these dates, all in Eastern Time:

Early registration, with a discount, runs from October 22, 2026, to March 23, 2027.
Pickleball early registration begins January 28, 2027.
Final registration runs from March 24 to April 21, 2027. The final deadline is 11:59 p.m. on April 21.

The individual base entry fee is $160 during early registration and $185 afterward. Each additional sport is $40. Everyone also pays a one-time, non-refundable $12 processing fee. NSGA gives an example: table tennis singles, doubles and mixed doubles would come to $172 in total with the processing fee.

Several open events skip the base fee and charge a flat price instead, as shown in the table above. Team fees are separate. Basketball, for example, is $625 per team early and $675 late. Check the full fee table before you register.

How to get started

Choose a sport you enjoy. Look at both lists, since open events need no qualifying.
Check the age rule. For 2027, you must be 50 or older by December 31, 2026.
Find your state games on the State Games Information page and read that state's own website for dates and entry details.
If you have not qualified in 2026, look at the open events for Tulsa. You can still register for those.
Create an NSGA account and register online before April 21, 2027. NSGA recommends using a laptop or desktop rather than a phone.
If you would rather build up slowly, enter your state games in 2028. That is the qualifying year for the 2029 Games.

If you have health concerns, check with your own clinician before starting a new sport.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to qualify to compete at the National Senior Games?

Not always. Qualifying events such as swimming, tennis and track and field require a result from a state senior games in the year before. Open events such as bocce, cornhole, tai chi and the 1-mile road race have no qualifying step.

What is the minimum age?

It is 50. For the 2027 Games, you must be at least 50 by December 31, 2026. Your age division is then set by your age on December 31, 2027.

Can I qualify in a state where I do not live?

Yes, if that state accepts out-of-state athletes. Contact the state organization directly, because each one sets its own entry rules and dates.

Is it too late to take part in 2027?

The qualifying year ends on December 31, 2026. Some state games, such as Florida's in December, are still ahead. Open events remain available to any eligible athlete until registration closes on April 21, 2027.