In back-to-back sports news in Jacksonville, organizers of the 2025 Jacksonville Classic college basketball tournament released the event’s lineup and city leaders announced that the Florida state high school basketball tournaments would be played in Jacksonville starting in the spring of 2026.
Jacksonville Basketball Classic
On Sept. 18, the Jacksonville Basketball Classic announced that teams from eight conferences would play in this year’s event, scheduled for Nov. 23-25 at Edward Waters University.
Participating teams are:
• Abilene Christian (Western Athletic Conference)
• Delaware (Conference USA)
• Georgia Southern (Sun Belt Conference)
• Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley Conference)
• UAB (American Athletic Conference)
• UNC Greensboro (Southern Conference)
• UTEP (Conference USA)
• UTSA (American Athletic Conference)
• William & Mary (Coastal Athletic Association)
• Youngstown State (Horizon League)
Organizers of the tournament tout it as the largest college basketball event on the East Coast. Tickets are available at jacksonvilleclassic.com. Game times and matchups will be
announced in the coming weeks.
FHSAA Boys & Girls State Basketball Championships
On Sept. 17, the Jacksonville Sports Foundation announced that the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Boys & Girls State Basketball Championships would be played for the first time in Jacksonville.
Under a three-year agreement, the tournament will be played at the University of North Florida on CSI Companies Court, with a welcome for players and families at Florida State College of Jacksonville.
Rural Classification championships will be Feb. 24-27, 2026. Championships for Classifications 1A through 7A will be March 5-14, 2026.
“This is another big win for Jacksonville,” Mayor Donna Deegan said during an announcement at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. “These championships will be played in our city for the first time ever, a milestone that will continue elevating our sports reputation and have a tremendous economic impact on our community. I’m grateful for all our partners that work together to bring exciting sports events like this one to Jacksonville.”
Others on hand for the announcement included Jacksonville City Council members; Craig Damon, executive director of the FHSAA; Michael Corrigan, board president of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation and president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville; and Samantha Vance, executive director of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation.
Other upcoming events include the Jacksonville Hoops Showdown between the University of Florida and University of Miami, scheduled for Nov. 16 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.