SALISBURY, Md. - Event organizers say that the 2024 Governors Challenge basketball tournament saw a record-breaking number of attendees.
According to Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism, event attendance across the five tournament locations totaled over 20,000. That number also includes 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."
Event organizers also say the tournament’s estimated economic impact was $3.5 million.
At the 2024 event, over 140 high school basketball teams traveled to the area from sixteen states and Canada, totaling over 2,500 student athletes. Officials say the lineup included multiple top ten teams and nationally ranked players. The Governors Challenge also featured food and toy drives.
Highlights from the 2024 Governors Challenge are on the Delmarva Sports Network. The Governors Challenge will return in 2025 from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30.