TOP TEAMS TO FACE OFF IN 59TH ANNUAL WHATABURGER BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

48 Boys and Girls Teams Face Off to Secure Win in Annual Holiday Championship

FORT WORTH, Texas – Dec. 13, 2016 – The Whataburger Basketball Tournament, hailed by USA Today and Sports Illustrated as one of the nation’s top holiday tournaments, returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for its 59th year.

The three-day tournament takes place Wednesday, Dec. 28 through Friday, Dec. 30, at three venues. The 5,000-seat Birdville Independent School District’s W.G. Thomas Coliseum will host the Boys Orange Division, the 1,700-seat Chisholm Trail High School arena will host the Boys Blue Division and the 2,200-seat Saginaw High School arena will host the Girls Blue Division. More than 30,000 fans and spectators are expected to attend. Additionally, each year more than 3,000 Whataburgers are made fresh right at the tournament venue to fuel players and coaches.

The tournament has grown significantly over the years. What started in 1958 as a competition between only eight teams has become a nationally acclaimed competition. Now, college scouts and coaches attend to watch 48 top-ranked boys and girls teams compete for the championship. In addition to going home champions, the winning team in each division will also earn a $1,000 scholarship from Whataburger.

Adding a new component to this year’s tournament, Whataburger created fun social media assets to interact with fans and give them the opportunity to capture all of the memorable moments during the games. Players, spectators and all other tournament-goers can enjoy using Whataburger’s special photo backdrop (located at the W.G. Thomas Coliseum) and Snapchat geofilters (available through the company’s social media channels). Those who participate will also receive some free Whataburger surprises at the tournament.

“At Whataburger, we believe our team is a family and we know many basketball teams feel the same way,” said Whataburger Director of Operations Kelvin Buggs. “We’re proud to host the Whataburger Basketball Tournament because we recognize it as an opportunity to empower these students to succeed in their future endeavors.”

The Whataburger Basketball Tournament provides teams throughout Texas, as well as from outside the state, with the unique opportunity to test their skills against other top-ranked schools they normally would not compete against during the regular season. This year, out-of-state team Little Rock Parkview will compete in the Orange Division.

“As always, we’re excited about the talented teams that have chosen to travel to Fort Worth for the tournament this year,” noted Tournament Director Tom Rogers. “We’re also proud to have a team from outside Texas, Little Rock Parkview, join us again this year. Not only do players get the opportunity to sharpen their skills at this tournament with teams they would not normally play, but it also allows them to showcase the gifted players they are.”

Fans interested in attending the tournament can purchase tickets at each of the tournament’s three venues. Tickets are $9 for a single day pass, $22 for a three-day pass at a single venue, $36 for a three-day pass at Chisholm Trail and Saginaw venues and $55 for a three-day pass for all games and venues throughout the tournament. Senior citizen and student discounts are also available.

For additional information including brackets, rankings and specific player statistics please visit www.whataburger-bbt.org. During the tournament, updated scores and game schedules will be posted in real time on Facebook. Participating teams follow below:

BOYS ORANGE 
Amarillo Tascosa
Arlington Martin
Austin Westlake
Denton Guyer
DeSoto
Euless Trinity
Garland Lakeview Centennial
Killeen Shoemaker
Little Rock Parkview, AR
Mansfield Lake Ridge
Mansfield Timberview
North Crowley
Plano West
Richardson Pearce
Richland
Round Rock McNeil

BOYS BLUE 
Abilene Wylie
Argyle
Argyle Liberty Christian
Austin Bowie
Brock
Burkburnett
Decatur
Jarrell
Kennedale
Liberty Hill
Muenster
Nacogdoches Central Heights
Peaster
Ponder
Seminole
Wall

GIRLS BLUE 
Abilene Wylie
Argyle Liberty Christian
Christoval
Dallas Christian
Kennedale
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
La Vega
Liberty Hill
Little River Academy
Panhandle
Ponder
Sanger
Seminole
Stephenville
Tuscola Jim Ned
Wall