FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 29, 2026) – The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is hosting the 2026 AAU Boys Basketball World Championships this July at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The event returns to the state-of-the-art ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for its 27th year, from July 2 through July 9, 2026.

Over the course of the week, the event is expected to welcome approximately 43,650 estimated attendees to Central Florida. 

“What sets our AAU World Championships apart is the complete event experience,” said Jo Mirza, AAU President. “From elite competition and first-class facilities at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to the atmosphere AAU creates for athletes, coaches and families, we’ve built an event that delivers at every level. That's why participants come back year after year.” 

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex has been the home of AAU Basketball’s biggest event of the summer since 1997, which has featured many of the best youth basketball players in the world including future college, NBA and WNBA players. This year, more than 8,350 athletes and nearly 700 teams will pack the gyms. Teams will be traveling from 34 different states, as well as five (5) countries and territories including the Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands, with an opportunity to win an AAU World Championship. 

"This event brings together some of the top young talent in the game, and we’re focused on creating experiences that stay with them beyond their time here,” said Adam Ball, Vice President of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort. “That comes to life through elite competition, incredible cast members and world-class facilities with one-of-a-kind Disney magic."

The sports complex has also hosted several other major basketball events including the NBA Finals in 2020, the ESPN Events Invitational college basketball tournament, and the NBPA Top 100 Camp. This will be the 7th year since rebranding to the AAU Basketball World Championships that athletes will get to play on the same courts as NBA champions and superstars. Games will be played across all three gyms throughout the week.

Tip-off will happen with 14U/8th Grade through 19U/12th Grade divisions on July 2 – July 5 and conclude with 7U/1st Grade through 13U/7th Grade divisions on July 6 – July 9. Division I and Division II teams will have an opportunity to showcase their skills throughout the penultimate event for the AAU Basketball summer.

This year’s event will see the return of AB Elite (Orlando Magic’s Anthony Black), out of Texas as they look to defend their AAU World Championship title in the 10th grade division. The Cayman Storm are making the trip to the AAU World Championships for the first time ever as they look to expand AAU Basketball in the Cayman Islands. The event will also showcase top talent such as 4-star recruit, Ishmael Kiteka with the Indiana Jammers, and young social media influencers, the Jolly Boyz, as they take the court with team JBL Elite. 

To view the event schedule and to keep up with ranks and results please download the AAU Basketball app here for Apple devices: AAU Basketball App - Apple or here for devices using Google Play: AAU Basketball App - Google Play.

For more information on the event, please visit https://aausports.org/boys-basketball/2025-world-championship/ or contact aaubasketball@aausports.org.

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Media Contacts:

Troy MacNeill, AAU Marketing Manager
o: 407-828-3055 | troy@aausports.org

David Sibila, Public Relations Manager, Walt Disney World Resort
David.sibila@disney.com 

About the AAU:

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is the largest, non-profit, event-driven multi-sports organizations in the country. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 1,000,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts annually. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.

About ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex:

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is where sports dreams come true for athletes and fans of all ages. Located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the complex is the home of a variety of events including Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening in 1997. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 220-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena and two versatile field houses for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose fields for outdoor sports including soccer, football and field hockey. The complex includes a professional production center that produces content for global distribution on the Disney family of networks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos.