The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau
The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all of the Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations.
The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau
The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau - Episode 118 - 06/14/2026
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If it feels like Pennsylvania has become the center of the sports universe this year, that's because it has.
From a record-setting NFL Draft in Pittsburgh to the PGA Championship outside Philadelphia, to this weekend's Nascar Cup Series race at the famed "Tricky Triangle" in the Poconos, 2026 has already delivered a remarkable run of marquee sporting events. But the biggest spotlight may be yet to come.
In the days and weeks ahead, soccer fans from around the globe will descend on Philadelphia for six matches in the FIFA World Cup, alongside visitors from across the nation who are making their way to PA to celebrate America's 250th birthday.
It's a once-in-a-generation convergence of sports, tourism, and history, and Pennsylvania finds itself squarely at the center of it all. Kaitie Burger, Executive Director of the PA Tourism Office is helping coordinate all those events, as well as all the Semiquincentennial events statewide.