NEW YORK — The nation’s most revered high school event is Big Apple bound in April.
The season ending tournament for top nationally ranked High School basketball teams, will have a new home in New Yor’s iconic Madison Square Garden for its sixth annual boys and girls championship games and a new name as DICK’S Sporting Goods, the largest U.S. based full-line sporting goods retailer signed on as the title sponsor. Paragon Marketing Group announced today it has reached a multi-year agreement with both Madison Square Garden, and DICK’S Sporting Goods to continue the tradition-rich event as the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School National Tournament
Madison Square Garden will host the boys and girls championship games on April 5.
“DICK’S Sporting Goods is thrilled to serve as title sponsor for the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School National Tournament and to further our support for high school basketball,” said Lauren Hobart, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, DICK’S Sporting Goods. “We look forward to seeing some of the best high school basketball teams and players in the country take center court at the World’s Most Famous Arena this spring.”
Comprehensive coverage of the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship action will continue to air across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU April 3-5, 2014. Boys quarterfinal and semifinal games, along with the girls semifinal games, will take place on April 3-4 at a to be determined venue.
“High school basketball has a long and rich tradition at Madison Square Garden as we have hosted some of the games legendary players including: Lew Alcindor, Bob Cousy, Nancy Leiberman-Cline, Connie Hawkins as well as NY Knicks Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports. “We are excited to host the boys and girls finals of the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, the premier high school basketball tournament in the country.”
As in previous years, the boys tournament will feature eight of the top ranked teams in the nation and the girls field will feature four teams. Last year’s boys field included seven teams that finished at the top of the final Blue Star Media Go-To 25, including Montverde (Fla.), St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.), Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), Prime Prep (Fort Worth, Texas), Ely (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and Oak Hill (Mouth of WIlson, Va.).
The boys and girls fields will be announced in March once the high school basketball season is completed. Additional information is available at www.dicksnationaltournament.com.
Event History
The National High School Invitational (NHSI) launched in 2009 at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Md. The event was created by Paragon Marketing Group to provide a season ending platform for top nationally ranked high school basketball teams to compete against one another in a season ending tournament.
The 2009 boys tournament was won by Findlay Prep with the girls tournament won by Seton Keough (Md.). The second annual tournament was held at Coppin State University’s Physical Education Complex in Baltimore with Findlay Prep retaining the boys title and the Peddie School (Hightstown, N.J.) claiming the girls title. In 2011, Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) won the boys title in double overtime while Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) won the girls championship. Findlay Prep recaptured the NHSI boys title in 2012 with an overtime victory, and Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) took the girls championship trophy. Last year Montverde Academy won its first NHSI boys title, and Dr. Phillips repeating in the girls event.
