Gus Macker Basketball Tournament Coming to Brooklyn Park
After a five-year hiatus, a major national basketball tournament is returning to Minnesota — and it’s coming to the campus of North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park.
“I invite you to lace up your shoes, work your jump shots, and please welcome the tournament’s return to the Twin Cities, during this 50th year anniversary of one of the longest-running, family friendly, community-focused, 3-on-3 basketball tournaments in the country. Gus Macker is back,” announced Cyd Haynes, CEO of Minneapolis Northwest Tourism during a news conference Wednesday morning.
Gus Macker basketball tournaments are hosted in more than two dozen cities across the U.S. The last time a Gus Maker tournament was held in Minnesota was in 2019 in St. Paul.
The outdoor tournament will take place in the North Hennepin Community College parking lot on Aug. 17-18.
The number of teams will be capped at 200, but event organizers particularly want female players to register.
“We know we have a great, diverse female population of basketball players in the metro area and we encourage them to play,” said Jen Durdahl-Johnson, Twin Cities Gus Macker operations director. “And we would like to break the national record of female teams. Only 20 percent are females that play in the Gus Macker tournament.”
Jen Durdahl-Johnson, operations director of the Twin Cities Gus Macker tournament, spoke at a news conference at North Hennepin Community College.
Event info
The tournament will bring in at least 800 players and several thousand spectators to Brooklyn Park.
Event organizers expect it to have a significant economic impact for hotels and restaurants in the northwest metro.
Registration is $200 for a team of four. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the following six local nonprofit organizations: Minnesota Chill Foundation, The Inner Hero, Brooklyn Park Athletic Association, Hawa’s Wings, Forward Thinking and Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities.
To register, visit the Gus Macker website.
