Last verified: . See something out of date? Tell us.
Summary
Eight-team south-central Minnesota holiday tournament played at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. JV games in afternoons, varsity at night. Field includes Fairmont, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, Lake Crystal, Maple River, Minnesota Valley Lutheran, Mankato Loyola, New Ulm, and St. Clair.
What makes this tournament distinct
Local fixed field of southern Minnesota Class A and AA programs, played across two college gyms. Recent champions (Fairmont, New Ulm, Maple River) reflect the consistent regional rivalry.
Who it fits
Best for: Class A and AA southern Minnesota programs. Families who want JV and varsity in the same trip.
Tradeoffs: Limited field of mostly small-school programs — not a recruiting destination. Mankato is 80 minutes south of the Twin Cities.
Minnesota's boys' state series. Quarterfinals at Target Center, semis split between Target Center and Williams Arena, finals at Williams Arena. The 2026 finals were March 28 with Totino-Grace beating DeLaSalle 72-70 in Class AAA.
Mobile, Alabama — 32 teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana across two college venues over three days at the back end of Christmas week. Roster-heavy on D1 prospects, which keeps college-coach traffic strong on the sidelines.
Juneau, three days between Christmas and New Year's. Hosted at JDHS since 1991, Princess Cruises is the title sponsor. The largest high school holiday tournament in Alaska. Brings teams from across Alaska plus a few Lower 48 invites willing to make the ferry/flight to Southeast.
Mobile, Alabama — 32 teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana across two college venues over three days at the back end of Christmas week. Roster-heavy on D1 prospects, which keeps college-coach traffic strong on the sidelines.
Juneau, three days between Christmas and New Year's. Hosted at JDHS since 1991, Princess Cruises is the title sponsor. The largest high school holiday tournament in Alaska. Brings teams from across Alaska plus a few Lower 48 invites willing to make the ferry/flight to Southeast.
Pine Bluff. Founded 1982 by banker Travis Creed and revived in 2018 after a long gap. Roughly half the field is Arkansas schools, half national invitees. Hosted the first regular-season high school basketball game on national prime-time ESPN (1987).
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.
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.
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.
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.