Pacesetter Youth Basketball Playoffs

2026 Pacesetter Youth Basketball Playoffs


Pacesetter Goals & Team Benefits
• Promote school/community TEAM basketball
• Support school programs and head coaches
• Provide exciting playoff system for school/community teams

2026 Minnesota Region Playoffs

Grades 4-7 • Boys & Girls
• 5-Star Playoffs – 5 regions
MIB/Grand Rapids – Feb. 14 (Grades 5 & 7) & 15 (Grades 4 & 6)
• Bemidji – Feb. 21 (Grades 4 & 6) & 22 (Grades 5 & 7)
• Redwood Falls – Feb. 21 (Grades 5 & 7) & 22 (Grades 4 & 6)
• Rochester CTC – Jan. 31 (Grades 4 & 6) & Feb.1 (Grades 5 & 7)
• St. Cloud – Feb. 14 (Grades 4 & 6) & 15 (Grades 5 & 7)
• Limit of 16 teams
• 3-4 games in one day – played efficiently
• Team entry: $240 (register by Oct 31: $200, register by Dec 31: $220)
• Champions and runners-up invited to State – March 29, Others invited to State MIT – March 28

Eligibility Guidelines:
  • All players on a team must either be enrolled in the same school system or live or attend school in the same city or the same tribal community. Smaller schools may combine to form one team if the combined high school enrollment for grades 9-12 is 400 or fewer. Schools that combine must be from neighboring schools.

All rosters must be submitted before teams will be placed in the tournament bracket. A copy of the team roster also needs to be turned in at each tournament.
Each player must fill out an online player waiver form before their first tournament of the season in order to be eligible to participate.

2026 Pacesetter Minnesota State Championships

St Cloud • March 29

Grades 4-7 • Boys & Girls
• State Championship – March 29
• Teams qualified in the 5-region playoffs
• 8-10 team bracket
• Team entry: $240 (register by Oct 31: $200, register by Dec 31: $220)

Grades 8-9 • Boys & Girls
• State Championship – March 29 
• Register directly for State – each grade/gender group in a separate MN state tournament bracket
• 16-team limit on teams
• Team entry: $240 (register by Oct 31: $200, register by Dec 31: $220)
• 3-4 games

2026 Minnesota Invitational Tournament (MIT)

St. Cloud – March 28

Grades 4-7 • Boys & Girls
• The “Best of the Rest” state championship
• Teams not qualifying for the state championship may enter the State MIT.
• Team entry: $240

NEW IN 2026!

• Any state championship open spots will be offered first to STATE MIT registrants.
• 3-4 games in one day – played efficiently

2026 Pacesetter Great Five-State Championships

Target Center • Minneapolis, MN – Lynx home game weekends

• Top teams from MN-WI-IA-ND-SD

MN – State champion and runner-up
ND – Jr. Grand Am champion
SD – TBA
WI – Badgerland champion
IA – State Tournament in Mason City

• 8-team brackets – 3 games
• Grades 4-9
• “Great State” invitations will be provided at qualifying sites