Middle- and high-schoolers from across the Houston area are getting a shot at free, organized 3-on-3 basketball next weekend, as Academy Sports + Outdoors transforms its Katy store parking lot into a two-day youth tournament called the H-Town Classic. The event runs Oct. 17-18, 2026, with games on six half-courts running at once, and registration costs nothing for teams or individual players.
Four Divisions, Six Courts, One Weekend
The H-Town Classic is described by its host as a 3x3 youth basketball tournament celebrating competition and community in the Greater Houston area, according to academy.com. It will take place at Academy Sports + Outdoors' Katy/Grand Parkway store at 23155 Katy Fwy., as reported by Click2Houston. There are four divisions — middle school boys, middle school girls, high school boys, and high school girls — covering grades 6 through 12, per the same report.
Each team can carry up to four players, with a minimum of three required at registration, the Academy event page notes. Click2Houston's account adds that every team is expected to play at least two games, with contests ending once a side hits 20 points or the clock runs out at 20 minutes. Academy describes the setup as turning its front lot into a full basketball festival, running six half-courts simultaneously across the two-day event.
32 Spots Per Division
Academy's event page says each division has a 32-team double-elimination bracket, allowing up to 128 teams across the four divisions.
Free Entry, With a Charity Hook
Signing up costs nothing. Registration is free for teams and individual players and must be completed by Oct. 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time, according to the Academy event page, though a separate Academy investor news release notes that registration also closes once each division hits capacity, whichever comes first.
There's a charitable twist built into the sign-up process. For every single team that registers, Academy will donate $100 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, Click2Houston reports. Academy, Nike and Jordan Brand are also providing two free team entries specifically to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston participants, according to the investor release.
Nike and Jordan Brand Step In
Academy Sports + Outdoors is hosting the tournament in partnership with Nike and Jordan Brand, the investor release states, with organizers describing the event as designed to pay homage to Houston's basketball legacy while bringing together athletes of all skill levels. Games are scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on both days, per that same release.
Every player who checks in on Oct. 17 will walk away with a jersey to keep, according to Academy's event page, and players on championship teams will also receive championship belts. Beyond the courts, organizers are planning food trucks, giveaways and other off-the-court activities to fill the gaps between games.
The tournament will be emceed by Kiotti Brown, the voice of the Houston Rockets, and Tausha Sanders, founder of Her Grails, per Academy's event listing. Click2Houston's coverage of the event is labeled sponsored content, with a disclosure noting the advertiser paid a fee to promote the article and may have influenced or authored it.
