Basketball Tournaments in California

California is one of the deepest high school basketball states in the country. The CIF runs both Section playoffs and a State Championship in mid-March at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Holiday tournaments are dense in the LA basin and the Bay Area, with several recognized national-tier events.

5 tournament(s) in California Updated regularly · submit a tournament

December 3 tournaments

MaxPreps Holiday Classic (Desert Holiday Classic)

Rancho Mirage, CA · December

HSNational

Rancho Mirage and Shadow Hills HS, the week between Christmas and New Year's. 117 teams across 11 divisions — the 16-team Open is the national-draw bracket, and the lower divisions are how regional programs actually get a competitive holiday tournament. Slam dunk and 3-point contests run during semifinal play.

Tournament details →

The Classic at Damien

La Verne, CA · December

HSNational

Hosted at Damien High School in La Verne, CA. 9th edition in 2025. Massive field — 144 teams across 9 divisions, played at Damien plus other area gyms over five days. SoCal basketball density makes it a go-to for both California and visiting programs.

Tournament details →

The Holiday Classic (Torrey Pines)

San Diego, CA · December

HSNational

San Diego, last week of December. Five brackets played across six county high schools — National at Torrey Pines, American at St. Augustine, Senator's at Carlsbad, Governor's at Rancho Buena Vista, Mayor's at El Camino. Teams from 12 states fill the field. National Division is the showcase; lower brackets give SoCal mid-tier programs a real holiday event without being overmatched.

Tournament details →

January 1 tournament

Nike Extravaganza

Santa Ana, CA · January

HSNational

Mater Dei hosts a two-day January slate at the Meruelo Athletic Center. Format is showcase, not bracket — teams come in for one marquee game. Mater Dei's boys play twice over the weekend; the rest of the field is California's top programs (Orange Lutheran, Servite, Sierra Canyon, etc.) with a few national invites mixed in.

Tournament details →

March 1 tournament

CIF State Open Division Championship

Sacramento, CA · March

HSState championship

Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, two-day final weekend. The Open Division boys final is the most loaded state title game in the country most years — you have to win your CIF section first, and the Open bracket pulls eight teams from those section champs. Eastvale Roosevelt won the 2025 Open over Archbishop Riordan; Brayden Burries dropped 44 in the final.

Tournament details →

Neighboring states

Frequently asked

Who runs California high school basketball?

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), through 10 regional Sections that feed into the State Championship.

When is the CIF State Championship?

Mid-March, typically held at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

National Prep Tournament · March 6–8, 2026

Looking for a March tournament?

National Prep Tournament in Fort Walton Beach, Florida takes both high school and post-grad programs. Applications stay open through October 31. If you want a competitive early-March slot without invitation-only barriers, this is the one to apply for.

Apply for the National Prep Tournament →