Wisconsin Championships

2026 PACESETTER GREAT 5-STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS • TARGET CENTER • MINNEAPOLIS

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Wisconsin teams in grades 4-9 will again be able to qualify for the Pacesetter Great Five-State Championships in Minneapolis, where all teams from Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Iowa get to play at minimum one game on the main floor of the 20,000+ seat Target Center, home of the MN Timberwolves and MN Lynx.

Teams playing at Pacesetter “Great State” will play 3 games in an 8-team bracket over 1-2 days during a MN Lynx home game weekend and will also attend the Lynx game. The Pacesetter games in the Target Center will have a game announcer that gives a “play-by-play” account. The Target Center music system also plays during the introductions of every player and coach for an exciting experience for players, coaches and fans.

Most teams stay at the Marriott Hotel, which has skyway access to the Target Center. Pacesetter holds an all-team meeting prior to the tournament, where all teams and players are introduced, and guidelines/rules are discussed.

2026 Wisconsin “Great State” Playoffs – Grades 4-9

Teams from Wisconsin will be eligible to qualify in two ways:

1) Badgerland State Championships –

GIRLS’ TOURNAMENTS
MARCH 7th & 8th | 6th & 7th Grade
MARCH 14th & 15th | 4th & 5th & 8th Grade

BOYS’ TOURNAMENTS
MARCH 7th & 8th | 7th & 8th Grade
MARCH 14th & 15th | 4th, 5th & 6th Grade

The top Wisconsin team in grades 4-9 from the Badgerland state tournament will be invited to represent Wisconsin in the Pacesetter Great Five-State Tournament in Minneapolis. Other top Wisconsin teams in the Badgerland tournament will be given first priority for “Great State” invitations.
See Badgerland information here.

2) Wild Card Application Letter
Once the Great State dates have been scheduled at the Target Center, any Wisconsin school or community team in grades 4-9 with a strong record may write Pacesetter director, Jeff McCarron, at jmac8144@yahoo.com, to apply for a wild card berth. Please describe your team and state your team’s strengths and willingness to play. Top teams that are organized and willing to commit to play often get an invitation.

Hometown Team Guidelines-Eligibility:

•  All players on a team must either be enrolled in the same school, live, or attend school in the same city, the same school system, or the same tribal community. Smaller school teams may combine, however, to form one team if the combined enrollment of these schools for grades 9-12 is 400 or fewer. Teams that combine should be from neighboring schools. (See Frequently Asked Questions for details.)
• All rosters must be submitted before teams will be placed in the tournament bracket.
• Every player must fill out an online player waiver form to be eligible to participate.