Florida runs one of the densest holiday and early-season tournament calendars in the country. Major hosting hubs include Fort Myers (City of Palms), Tampa Bay, Palm Beach, and Miami, with smaller events on the Panhandle (Fort Walton Beach) and in Jacksonville. The FHSAA state championships happen in early March — moving to UNF Arena in Jacksonville beginning with the 2026 event.
One of the longest-running national-tier holiday tournaments in the country. Eight invited programs, single-elimination, played over four days at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers. The field is consistently top-25 nationally ranked.
Tournament details →West Palm Beach, late December. Run by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. National invitational structure with the destination factor of South Florida in the holiday week.
Tournament details →Miami, late December. Hosted at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. The high school basketball event tied to the Junior Orange Bowl (separate from the college Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise). 37 years running. Mix of South Florida and visiting national programs.
Tournament details →Wesley Chapel, north of Tampa, late December. Two sessions across the holiday break (Dec 20-23 before Christmas, Dec 27-30 after). 9th edition in 2025. Sanctioned by NFHS. Larger field than the invitation-only events on the Florida holiday calendar.
Tournament details →Early-March national tournament hosted at FCP Sports in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Open to both high school and post-grad divisions, with applications taken through the fall. Designed for programs wanting a competitive early-March tournament without invitation-only barriers.
Tournament details →The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).
Early March each year. Beginning with the 2026 event, the championships moved to UNF Arena in Jacksonville.
National Prep Tournament · March 6–8, 2026
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 →