- Hoophall Invitational to Bring Hall of Fame Experience to More High School Programs -
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced an exciting new addition to Hoophall Classic Weekend, the inaugural Hoophall Invitational taking place January 18-19, 2025. The event, supported by the Western Mass Sports Commission, is a 64-team traditional high school tournament added onto the festival of events of Hoophall Classic and Jr. Hoophall Classic at Springfield College and Hoophall Prep Showcase at American International College.
Hoophall Invitational will be played at six Springfield school sites: Springfield Central High School, Putnam High School, High School of Science and Technology, Rebecca Johnson School, Pope Francis Preparatory School, and Springfield International Charter School. Boys’ and girls’ teams from across the Northeast, spanning from Maine to Pennsylvania, will play at least two games each.
“The Hoophall Invitational aims to enhance Hoophall Classic and boost the economic impact Hoophall Classic weekend has on the City of Springfield, which, according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, is over $10 million without factoring in television exposure and media coverage,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We look forward to offering these teams a Hall of Fame experience while they compete and welcoming them to the ‘Birthplace of Basketball’ over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.”
“Hoophall Classic is a signature event for Western Mass, so we were 100% onboard with the idea of adding the Hoophall Invitational to the line-up and expanding this tournament,” said Mary Kay Wydra, President of the Western Mass Sports Commission. “Having this event in Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, provides an experience that can only happen right here in Western Mass!”
The 23rd annual Hoophall Classic will be held January 16-20, 2025, bringing another elite-level field together at Blake Arena at Springfield College.
Schedule, ticket information, television broadcast details, and credential information for the Hoophall Invitational will be released alongside all other high school events the week of October 21. For more information, please visit hoophall.com or follow @hoophallclassic on all social platforms.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors – both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to more than 450 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame Museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophallclassic or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.