We were excited to report last month that the GEICO Nationals, the mythical national championship tournament, was likely to feature several teams that were scheduled to play at the 2020 Culligan City of Palms Classic. Now comes even more good news, as this year’s GEICO Nationals is making the move to Southwest Florida after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19. It will take place at the home of the City of Palms Classic, Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College. The single elimination tournament will be held Wednesday, Mar. 31 – Saturday, Apr. 3.

A 10-team boys’ field and four-team girls’ bracket was unveiled this week for the tournament’s first-ever action south of Maryland. Nine of the top 25 boys’ teams in the nation will take part, along with three of the top four girls’ teams and nine of the boys’ teams have competed at COP or were scheduled to take part in 2020. 

Among the boys’ teams scheduled to take part in the GEICO Nationals are defending COP and national champ No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), No 3. COP runner-up IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), No.4 Arizona Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), No. 10 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah), No. 12 Milton High School (Alpharetta, Ga.), No. 15 Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.), No. 18 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), No. 21 Oak Hill Academy (Oak Hill, Va.) and La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.).

On the girls’ side are No. 2 Westlake High School (Atlanta, Ga.), No. 3 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), No. 4 St. Paul VI High School (Chantilly, Va.), and No. 15 Fremont High School (Ogden, Utah).

Along with the 14 teams that will head to Fort Myers, ESPN’s crews will come here as well. All games in the event will be televised on ESPN and its family of networks, including ESPN3, ESPNU, and ESPN2 with the championship game on ESPN. Because of COVID-19, game tickets will not be sold. Only family, staff and limited media will be allowed in the arena for the GEICO Nationals.