The Rantoul Family Sports Complex: In the Middle of Everything

Looking for a new home plate or home field for your event? Looking for a place with more to do than just sports and sleeping? Looking for a superior level of service at a facility that sets the gold standard for others in the sports tournament industry? Here it is.

Located between three major Midwest cities, The Rantoul Family Sports Complex (or RFSC for short) is an outdoor sports tourism facility built for convenience, comfort and competition. In 2024, the State of Illinois was designated in the Top Five States for Sports Travel in the United States.

Why is Rantoul a game-changer, a winner and why should it be your next destination? Here are some reasons:

Rantoul is thriving! Having opened in 2021, The Rantoul Family Sports Complex has quickly become an integral part of that economic growth and solidified itself as a leader in Illinois and the sports travel industry. More than four million visitors passed through its doors before its fifth year in operation alone, and the facility continues to see growth. Additionally, it provides event planners with great options that can help them escalate experiences for athletes, spectators, media and anyone who visits.

What else is The Rantoul Family Sports Complex? It’s convenient! In fact, getting out of the city and enjoying the countryside couldn’t be easier. Just seconds off of Interstate 57 in Rantoul, Illinois, The Rantoul Family Sports Complex is accessible and easy to locate. For those who want a big city experience, Chicago, Indianapolis and St Louis are all approximately two hours away and with three major interstates, Amtrak and a regional airport running through Champaign County, Rantoul is one of the most convenient locations to meet for competition.

Here’s another bonus: As the home of the former Chanute Airforce base, the community of Rantoul has strong ties to the military. Once one of the largest military bases in the country, Chanute was also a home to the Tuskegee Airmen and to thousands of other brave military personnel. Rantoul features onsite hotels, convenient restaurants and fun attractions like The Fringe, a mini golf and simulator facility located steps from RFSC. The Village of Rantoul is a hub for tourism, beginning with RFSC but also features the largest indoor Motorcross track in Illinois.

Gordyville USA, a premier equine facility, boasts 160,000 square feet of event space. It consists of two 100’ x 270’ arenas and room for 600 portable stalls all under one roof that is heated in the winter and has ventilation fans to keep things cool in the summer. It is also equipped with food concessions, a restaurant, wash racks, new eco-friendly lighting and 40 acres of parking, 100 RV hookups and an outdoor arena. Here's something else livestock-related this area has: Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch. Hardy’s is one of the only places to visit reindeer in the continental United States (and yes, they fly).

For additional fun and lodging, Champaign Urbana is located just 10 minutes south of Rantoul, and it is the home of the University of Illinois and the Fighting Illini! A bustling college community, Champaign Urbana offers plenty of hotels, attractions and both locally owned and family favorite restaurants, all within 15 minutes of RFSC.

This area is comfortable! The bleachers may not be for everyone, but with plenty of room for chairs, tents and those infamous “parent pods,” RFSC has seating options for, well, every seat! Great concessions, temperature-controlled restrooms and overhead nets by the diamonds keep everyone happy and safe, providing additional peace of mind while attending games.

New for 2025, RFSC is adding a 40’ x 40’ pavilion for teams to get out of the sun and enjoy the ample concession menu. With amenities aimed at keeping athletes in the game, parents calm, cool and collected, and officials hydrated and happy, RFSC’s turnkey services assisting tournament owners is setting a new standard for comfort and convenience.

Amenities for planners include the following:

• Office space and a tournament room for registration and storage
• Access to UTVs for traversing the facility
• Private spaces and restrooms for event staff
• Showers and laundry onsite
• Aan officials’ lounge to provide a space to relax and cool down

RFSC is competitive! Having welcomed visitors from 26 U.S. states and four countries, The Rantoul Family Sports Complex is the perfect destination for competition! Each field features synthetic turf, LED lighting and flexibility to host myriad sports. Each ball diamond features covered dugouts, two batting cages, bullpens and LED scoreboards.

Each field is flexible and can be adjusted for skill and age level with portable mounds, fences and baselines. The Championship fields feature LED video boards for advertisements, sponsor announcements and information for visitors. The multi-purpose fields are lined for football and soccer, and feature NCAA regulations fields and amenities, include LED lighting, and scoreboards.

In 2024, The Rantoul Family Sports Complex welcomed 1.2 million visitors. With plenty of opportunities in the coming years, RFSC invites you to join the list of satisfied organizers, athletes, officials and fans that call the Rantoul Family Sports Complex home.