ACL brings first Tri-Cities Open to Pasco in West Coast debut
ACL’s first Tri-Cities Open landed in Pasco with about 300 players, more than $25,000 on the line and a chance to prove the West Coast can pack a cornhole stop.
The American Cornhole League opened its first Tri-Cities Open in Pasco with a built-in test: can the Tri-Cities draw enough players, fans and attention to become a regular stop on the sport’s map? About 300 competitors were expected at HAPO Center, with crowds of 1,200 or more, and the whole weekend carried stakes beyond the bags on the boards. If Pasco delivers, this is the kind of event that can bring repeat dates, national visibility and a bigger West Coast footprint for a league that has long been centered in the East and South.
The three-day event ran June 19-21 at HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd. in Pasco, and the ACL listed it as part of its 2026 schedule alongside later stops in Mesa, Arizona, the ACL Canada National Championship in Ottawa, Ontario, and the season-ending World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. That placement matters. Pasco did not get a side-stage exhibition; it got a real league stop, one that outside listings identified as ACL Open No. 13.
The Tri-Cities push did not happen by accident. Local momentum built around the 3 City Slingers, with Cody Lewis and Mark Leonard among the key promoters behind the weekend. Leonard, Washington’s ACL state director and club president, has pointed out how cornhole’s format lets players of very different skill levels share the same event, a big reason the sport can turn a casual crowd into a serious tournament field. That accessibility is part of the pitch for why Pasco could keep this event, and perhaps grow it, if turnout matches the ambition.
The format gave players multiple ways in and plenty to play for. Visit Tri-Cities said the weekend included Friday events, doubles on Saturday and Sunday Singles for all skill levels. The ACL used CPI ratings to sort singles into five tiers, while players chose upper or lower divisions in other brackets. More than $25,000 in prizes and cash was spread across the weekend, with registration fees ranging from $25 to $200 depending on the event.
The public could watch free, and the event also streamed on ESPN+, YouTube and Facebook, giving Pasco a national window it rarely gets in niche sports. HAPO Center listed nearby lodging for traveling players and families, including Franklin County RV Park, My Place Hotel Pasco, Hampton Inn & Suites Pasco/Tri-Cities and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pasco-TriCities. Bag Queens and Underworld Cornhole were on site selling bags and apparel, while HAPO Center handled concessions and setup. For Pasco, the real score was not just who won boards on the floor. It was whether the region could prove it belonged on the ACL calendar again.
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