Inside Donald Trump's 'Hunger Games'-style athletics contest
US President Donald Trump has pitted 120 students from the 50 states, territories and some Native American nations against each other to win a college scholarship.
In the Patriot Games 2026, 120 students, including at least one non-resident, competed for a $177,449 college scholarship. The event, announced by Donald Trump in December 2025, aims to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. Competitors were chosen through a video application process, with some contestants revealing they do not reside in the state or territory they represent.
Trump's event, dubbed "The Hunger Games-style athletics contest," features four days of competition, including dodgeball, kickball, and a military-style bootcamp. Competitors from various states and territories, such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Shawnee Tribe, participated in the three-day-long event in Ohio. The top male and female athletes will each receive a $125,000 scholarship, though the average cost of attending an out-of-state, public school in the US exceeds $182,000.
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