Carolina Lowcountry Invitational

South Carolina High School League state finals returned to Colonial Life Arena in 2026 for the first time since 2020 — a five-year gap that ended with both boys and girls finals back on the SEC-sized floor March 5-7. Brackets seed off region tournaments through the regular season.

Myrtle Beach Convention Center, late December. Sixteen-team national field — every team plays multiple games. Long history (since 1981) and consistent national media coverage put this near the top of the holiday tournament tier.

Columbia, South Carolina — in its 13th year at Ridge View High School. Six South Carolina programs and six national-draw teams play a nine-game weekend in early-to-mid December. The 2025 field pulled programs from Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia. Includes a Nike EYBL Scholastic matchup and a free kids camp.

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.