The Whataburger Basketball Tournament, hailed by USA Today and Sports Illustrated as one of the nation’s top holiday tournaments, returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for its 56th year. Over three thrilling days of competition, 48 boys’ and girls’ teams will compete to reign supreme as one of the nation’s best high school teams.
More than 30,000 fans and spectators will attend the tournament from Thursday, Dec. 26 through Saturday, Dec. 28, which takes place at three venues. The 5,000-seat Birdville Independent School District’s W.G. Thomas Coliseum will host the renowned Orange Division, the 1,700-seat Chisholm Trail High School arena will host the Blue Boys’ Division and the 2,200-seat Saginaw High School arena will host the Blue Girls’ Division.
While the tournament began in 1957 as a small fundraiser for Fort Worth’s West Side chapter of the Lions Club with a competition between only eight teams, today the tournament has become a nationally acclaimed competition that has seen several past participants advance to careers in the NBA and NFL. This year, college scouts and coaches from across the nation will once again attend the tournament to see these rising stars in action.
As part of the tournament sponsorship, Whataburger will award a $500 scholarship to the winning team in each division. “These students have put in countless hours to improve their athletic skills and earn the opportunity to compete at such a high level,” Whataburger Director of Operations Kelvin Buggs said. “In the spirit of friendly competition, Whataburger is honored to support their efforts as they rise to the challenge and battle for the championship title.”
The Whataburger Basketball Tournament also provides teams with the unique opportunity to test their skills against other top-ranked schools that they wouldn’t normally compete against during the regular season. The teams playing in the tournament represent some of the best Texas teams as well as a few teams from out of state. This year, teams like Kentucky’s esteemed Louisville Ballard and Arkansas’ Jonesboro will be competing in the boys’ Orange Division.
“Our 56th Annual Whataburger Tournament will be the most competitive ever from top to bottom with excellent teams, coaches, and players in all three divisions,” Tournament Director Tom Rogers said. “As most basketball followers know and understand, the state of Texas has the most college Division I signees in the nation each year, and this year is no exception. We hope all fans come to see and enjoy some great high school basketball at all three venues during this holiday season.”
Fans interested in attending the tournament can purchase tickets at each of the tournament’s three venues. Tickets are $8 for a single day pass, $20 for a three-day pass at a single venue, and $30 for a three-day pass for all games and venues throughout the tournament. Senior citizen and student discounts are also available.
For additional information including brackets, rankings and specific player statistics, click here. During the tournament, updated scores and game schedules will be posted in real time on Facebook and Twitter @WhataburgerBBT. Participating teams follow below. Please find the brackets attached.
Louisville Kentucky Ballard
Garland Lakeview Centennial
Story courtesy of Amanda Blease