Frequently Asked Questions

March 5-7, 2027 (Friday through Sunday) at FCP Sports in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Pool play Friday and Saturday, single-elimination bracket Sunday. Travel and lodging info is on the travel page.

FCP Sports, 33 Jet Drive NW, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548. Full-size NCAA regulation court with seating for spectators, professional scoreboards, on-site concessions, and live streaming infrastructure. About 15 minutes from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS).

Pool play Friday and Saturday, single-elimination bracket Sunday. NCAA rules with two 20-minute halves. Single-court tournament with a 12-team field cap across two divisions — designed for high-production, intimate showcase basketball rather than mega-bracket exposure events.

Each registered team plays 3-4 games over the three days. Pool play results determine bracket seeding for Sunday. Every team is on the floor each day.

Regular registration is $500 per team. Early bird applications submitted by October 31, 2026 receive a $400 rate — saving $100 per team. Multi-team programs entering both High School and Post-Grad divisions can request an additional discount by contacting us directly.

Apply for early bird pricing or register at the standard rate.

Two paths:

1. Early bird (recommended through Oct 31, 2026): Apply at /early-bird. We review applications within 24 hours and email back an approval with your $400 discount code.

2. Standard registration: Pay $500 directly through the register page with secure card processing.

90+ days before tip-off (before Dec 5, 2026): Full refund.

30-89 days out: 50% refund or 100% credit toward a future tournament.

Within 30 days: Non-refundable except in cases of documented medical emergency or natural disaster, evaluated case-by-case.

If we cancel the tournament: All entry fees fully refunded, no questions.

Two divisions:

High School Division: Current high school program rosters — varsity teams from public, private, charter, or prep schools.

Post-Grad Division: Post-graduate basketball programs (academies operating a PG team).

Teams must be invited or approved through the application process. This is not an open registration tournament — the field is capped at 12 teams to maintain competitive game quality.

Yes. Many programs do, and we offer a multi-team discount. Mention this on your early bird application or contact us before registering.

Players must be members of the registered team's roster. For Post-Grad teams, players are typically 18-19 years old (high school graduates not yet enrolled full-time in college). For High School teams, players follow their school's roster eligibility. Programs are responsible for confirming their own players' eligibility.

We invite college coaches but do not promise specific named coaches in attendance — that's a claim most tournaments make and few can verify. Our recruiting strategy is built around the live-stream archive: free, public YouTube streams of every game that college coaches at all levels (D1, D2, JUCO, NAIA) regularly watch after the event.

For the honest picture of how recruiting actually works at prep tournaments, see our recruiting pillar post.

Yes — every game, free, on YouTube, no paywall. All streams archived after the tournament for unlimited replay by college coaches and family. This is one of the most important features of the tournament for player recruiting in 2027.

Yes. Game MVPs are awarded each game. An All-Tournament Team is selected on Championship Sunday with awards, public recognition, photo coverage, and player profiles teams can use in recruiting outreach.

We have an official hotel partnership with La Quinta by Wyndham for group block rates (typically $135/night — significantly below walk-up rates). Full booking info on the travel page.

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) is about 15 minutes from the venue and most hotels. Pensacola International (PNS) is about an hour west and often has more direct routes — sometimes a cheaper option for teams flying from the Midwest or East Coast.

Driving teams typically spend around $5,400 total ($450/player for a 12-player team) including entry fee, hotel, meals, gas, and incidentals. Flying teams typically spend around $9,900 ($825/player). Detailed line-item breakdown in our travel cost guide.

The tournament is hosted by Florida Coastal Prep Sports Academy and directed by Coach Lee DeForest, a 25+ year basketball coach with experience at the D1, D2, NAIA, and JUCO levels and 5 published basketball coaching books (Amazon best-seller). NBA veteran and 1994 All-Star Kenny Anderson serves on the FCP coaching staff.

Contact: 850.961.2323 · info@floridacoastalprep.com

IAABO-certified officials hired through a local board, with the same crew across the weekend for consistency. We don't cut corners on referees — bad officiating ruins more tournaments than any other factor.

The tournament is held indoors in March (well outside hurricane season). In the unlikely event we have to cancel for safety reasons, all entry fees are fully refunded. In the event of less-severe weather affecting travel, we may delay tip-off times but typically still play.

Yes — spectator seating is available throughout the weekend. Concessions on-site. Streaming is also free for family who can't make the trip.