Last verified: . See something out of date? Tell us.
Summary
Fort Worth / DFW Metroplex, late December. 65 editions running. Played across multiple Mansfield/Fort Worth high schools (Whataburger sponsors but is HQ'd in San Antonio — the tournament moved to DFW years ago). Operated by Championship Basketball Inc. Two divisions: Orange (top tier) and Blue.
What makes this tournament distinct
65-year history makes this Texas's longest-running national-draw holiday tournament. Two-tier structure means programs at different competitive levels both have a fit.
Who it fits
Best for: Top Texas programs and out-of-state nationally ranked teams looking for a Texas matchup in the Christmas-to-New-Year window.
Tradeoffs: Spread across multiple host schools — logistics matter. Don't be misled by the sponsor name: it's in DFW, not San Antonio.
What changed
: Corrected city from San Antonio to Fort Worth/Mansfield. Sponsor (Whataburger) is HQ'd in San Antonio but the tournament has been in DFW for years. Operator: Championship Basketball Inc.
Texas private/parochial state finals, classifications 1A through 6A boys and girls. Played at multiple host sites the last weekend of February. The TAPPS counterpart to UIL for accredited Texas private schools.
San Antonio. The UIL public-school state tournament for boys and girls, all classifications 1A through 6A, played at the Alamodome in March. Earn your way through district and regional brackets to get here.
Houston-area Pasadena ISD hosts what's been billed as Texas's largest pre-Thanksgiving high school tournament. Played the Thursday-Friday-Saturday before Thanksgiving across multiple Pasadena ISD gyms, with a free YouTube stream.
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.