The last, and only, Winter Games to be held in the Reno-Tahoe region was in 1960 at Squaw Valley.
RENO, Nev. — The Reno-Tahoe region will not host the Winter Olympics anytime soon.
The Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition said in a press release Monday, Nov. 12, that it is not financially feasible for the region and declined a bid invitation from the United States Olympic Committee to participate in an accelerated process to decide the next U.S. city to host.
"We have maintained from the start that a Reno-Tahoe bid would have to make sense economically, environmentally and socially," said Brian Krolicki, RTWGC board chairman, in the release. "Given the parameters and conditions presented, we cannot make the numbers pass muster. To continue, at this point, would be untenable and unwise."
The RTWGC said it was honored to have been included with Denver and Salt Lake City as a possible host for the 2030 games and that it reviewed the process with "significant deliberation" and didn't come to the decision "lightly."
The USOC's invitation requested RTWGC submit responses to a detailed workbook covering the areas of bid vision, venue planning, transportation planning, security, budgets and public engagements, among other topics, with a submission deadline of Nov. 9.
The decision is based on Los Angeles, who will host the 2028 Summer Games, having exclusive marketing rights from early next year through the completion of the games.
The release stated, "Budget models for the Reno-Tahoe bid are based on a traditional seven-year marketing and sponsorship cycle and the RTWGC does not see an alternative business model to make a significantly shorter time span work."
"I'd like to thank the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition for participating in our process up to this point," said USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland in the release. "The leaders in Nevada and California have demonstrated an incredible commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic community and the athletes we all serve. The USOC looks forward to continuing to work with RTWGC to identify new opportunities to take advantage.
"The USOC recognizes Reno-Tahoe's longstanding Olympic heritage, dating back to the region's hosting of the eighth Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley nearly 60 years ago," Hirshland added. "Since then, the region has developed dozens of Team USA Olympic and Paralympic winter athletes."
The RTWGC said it will continue its work so that in the event a "traditional time-lined bid cycle beyond 2030 arises, the region will be poised to once again engage."
RTWGC remains committed to its role in helping bring elite sports competitions and events to the region, as well as to support the area's Olympic movement and heritage.
The 2026 Winter Games will be hosted by Stockholm, Calgary or Italy — their respective bids were ratified in October by the USOC.
"We have always spoken of the value of the process," said Jon Killoran, RTWGC CEO, in the press release. "Over the past decade the pursuit of our Olympic and Paralympic Games dream opened the door to host World Championships, World Congresses of Sport, World Cup events and other elite competitions, which would not have been possible without the tireless work of our board, staff, donors and stakeholders to raise the world-wide awareness of the Reno-Tahoe, Las Vegas and Nevada brands."
