Salisbury, MD – The Governors Challenge has brought top-notch high school basketball talent to Wicomico County for more than 40 years. This year, the tournament saw a record-breaking number of attendees.
Event attendance across the five tournament locations totaled over 20,000, including two days of sell-outs at the Wicomico Civic Center.
“We’re thrilled with the success of this year’s tournament. The energy in the Civic Center arena was electric, and the turnout exceeded expectations,” said Tournament Director James Simmons. “The Governors Challenge is a celebration of high school basketball on the Eastern Shore and we hope to make sell-outs part of the tradition for years to come.”
Over one hundred and forty high school basketball teams traveled to the area from sixteen states and Canada, totaling over 2,500 student athletes. The lineup included multiple top ten teams and nationally ranked players.
The tournament’s estimated economic impact was $3.5 million.
Tournament staff raised the bar off the court as well, hosting food and toy drives in partnership with the Local Management Board of Wicomico County, M&T Bank, Power 101.7 and local basketball teams. These efforts resulted in hundreds of toys and meal boxes being distributed in the local community.
The Governors Challenge will return December 26-30, 2025. To learn more, visit www.GovernorsChallenge.org.
Attached photo: Teams compete at the Wicomico Civic Center during the 2024 Governors Challenge.
Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism
