City of Palms Basketball Classic

Monday, December 16, 2024 - Saturday, December 21, 2024

One of Southwest Florida’s most exciting events is the Culligan City of Palms Basketball Classic. 2023 will mark the 50th year of the top tournament in the nation featuring the highest-ranked players and teams. The tournament will be held again in the Suncoast Credit Union Arena at Florida SouthWestern State College.

In December 1973, the City of Palms Classic began, like so many events, as a simple, local Christmas basketball tournament — the brainchild of legendary Edison Community College head coach Hugh Thimlar and a small group of high school coaches and administrators. Over the years, the “City of Palms Classic” (named by Donnie Wilkie in 1987) has grown and expanded its scope to include many of the nation’s finest players and teams, setting the standard during the past four decades by which all other holiday basketball tournaments are compared.

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Location: Suncoast Credit Union Arena