The nation’s top high school basketball tournament moving to the new Suncoast Credit Union Arena at FSW

As the USA Basketball teams celebrate their Rio gold medal wins, the Culligan City of Palms Classic is ready for its 44^th year of featuring the nation’s best high school players. The tournament, with the return of presenting sponsor Enterprise Rent-A-Car, is scheduled to tip off on December 16 at the new Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College in Fort Myers, and tickets have just gone on sale.

Several ticket options are available, including:

1. The 6-day Preferred Ticket Package. A single-seat six-day ticket package for $250 plus a $20 processing fee (3rd party ticket vendor fee) with seating in the first two rows directly behind the team benches and scorer’s table (west side of the arena) or the opposite second row (east side).
2. The 6-day Reserved Ticket Package. A single-seat six-day ticket package for $128 plus a $9 processing fee (3rd party ticket vendor fee) for the remaining courtside seating (east and west sides of the arena).
3. VIP Parking. A six-day Reserved Parking Pass for $40 plus a $3 processing fee (3rd party ticket vendor fee).

For more information and to purchase tickets, call the box office Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at (800) 440-7469 or (239) 481-4849.

New for the tournament this year is the venue. After 22 years at Bishop Verot High School, the tournament moves down Summerlin Road to the brand new Suncoast Credit Union Arena at FSW. The 75,000-square-foot, 3,300-seat arena is slated to be complete this fall. The arena was chosen for its ability to accommodate the growing tournament well into the future.

Culligan City of Palms Classic Executive Director John Naylor said, “We’re excited to be making the move to FSW. Bishop Verot was a great host for over two decades and now we’re looking forward to continuing the tradition of bringing the best high school basketball teams to Southwest Florida and the new Suncoast Credit Union Arena.”

No fees are collected from players and teams, and Classic Basketball Inc., a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation that acts as a foundation for the tournament, covers all expenses for the players. For many of the players, the tournament represents their first opportunity to travel outside their own city.

135 Culligan City of Palms Classic players have been named McDonald’s All-Americans and 116 have been drafted by the NBA, including 71 first-round picks. 51 are current NBA stars and 120 are current NCAA Power 7 conference stars. 67 players participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including 23 that made it to the Sweet 16.

About the Culligan City of Palms Classic

Founded in 1973, the City of Palms tournament began, like so many tournaments today, as a simple, local, holiday basketball tournament. Over the years, the tournament grew and expanded its scope to include the nation’s finest athletes and teams, and over the past 22 years, has set the standard by which all tournaments are compared. Classic Basketball Inc. is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation created for the purpose of managing the Culligan City of Palms Classic. For more information and to sign up for the eNewsletter, visit cityofpalmsclassic.com.