Sterling Showdown returns as NADGT B-tier in Colorado

Forty-nine of 72 spots are already filled for the Sterling Showdown, and that early demand is the first clue this is more than a routine summer stop. The 2026 NADGT Exclusive at Pioneer Park, supported by MVP Discs, will be played Saturday, July 25, in Sterling, Colorado as a PDGA B-tier.

That sanctioning level matters. A B-tier brings points, structure and enough competitive weight to pull in players who plan their July around sanctioned amateur rounds. The event also sits inside the NADGT - 2026 Season Events series, which Disc Golf Scene lists as a 267-event slate running from January 1, 2025 through October 31, 2026. In other words, Sterling is not operating on an island; it is part of a wider national amateur pipeline that gives this weekend more stake than a typical local one-off.

Pioneer Park is the kind of course that can expose who is ready now. UDisc rates the Sterling layout 4.2 and labels it moderate difficulty, while Explore Sterling describes the property as a .6-mile nature trail at 17615 Highway 14. Disc Golf Course Review describes the course as a mix of tight and open shots, with a pond that can form in the middle after heavy rain. That combination gives the field a clear test: hit lines cleanly, avoid the trouble spots and keep the round under control when the course plays awkwardly.

The venue already has tournament history to lean on. PDGA lists a 2022 NADGT Exclusive at Pioneer Park in Sterling, and Disc Golf Scene shows a 2024 NADGT Exclusive at the same course. That repeat use matters because it suggests NADGT trusts the course as a real competition site, not just a placeholder on the calendar. With the Sterling Showdown name attached, the event has a sharper identity than most midsummer B-tiers, and the sponsor branding is part of that. MVP Disc Sports tells organizers to add “Sponsored by MVP Disc Sports” to the title, which explains why the support sits prominently in the event name.

The main thing to watch is how the field handles the course before the big July B-tier weekend gets crowded by other stops. A course with a moderate rating, mixed shot shapes and weather-sensitive trouble in the middle can separate players who are simply signed up from players who are peaking. Sterling already has the field interest and the sanctioning to matter; the scoring separation will decide how much.