Kingdom of the Sun crown emblem

The Original. Since 1974.

53rd Annual · December 28-31, 2026 · Ocala, Florida
53rd
Annual
16
Teams
4
Days
1
Champion
Est. 1974 · The Original

Fifty Years of the Kingdom

The original sixteen-team national high school holiday tournament. The King of the Bluegrass, the Arby's Classic, and the City of Palms Classic all followed the format the Kingdom created.

79 State Champions, 215 different Florida schools, and 140 out-of-state teams from more than 25 states, plus the Bahamas and Canada, have played in the Kingdom. Two national champions have been crowned on this floor.

79
State Champions
215
Florida Schools
140
Out-of-State Teams
30+
NBA Players
2
National Champions
From the Kingdom to the League

The Level

More than 30 NBA players and two championship-winning coaches came through this tournament.

Joel Embiid2023 NBA MVP · No. 3 Pick
Dwight HowardHall of Fame 2025 · 8x All-Star
Kwame BrownNo. 1 Overall Pick
Joe MazzullaNBA Champion Head Coach
Dan Hurley2x NCAA Champion Head Coach

See All Alumni

Since 1974

Champions

YearChampionMVP
2024St Thomas AquinasStateDwayne Wimbley
2023Winter HavenIsaac Celicsar
2022Winter HavenIsaac Celicsar
2021Eagle's Landing (GA)AJ Barnes
2019Columbia (GA)Devin Longstreet
2018WindermereDante Love

Every Champion, 1974-2024

The 53rd Annual

December 28-31, 2026

Invitation Only

Sixteen of the strongest programs, invited to Ocala for four days at Vanguard High School.

Streaming on NFHS

Every game streams live on NFHS Network, the whole tournament, start to finish.

The Experience

Team meals, the dunk and 3-point contests, college exposure, and Ocala hospitality.

About the Tournament

Invited Teams

Confirm Your Spot

The 53rd Annual is invitation only. Invited programs, confirm your spot and we will follow up with rosters, schedule, travel, and hotel details.

Confirm Spot