Starter Partners With Major Holiday Basketball Tournament

RADNOR, PENNSYLVANIA (October 21, 2025) — BASE Sports Group announced a new partnership between Starter and the Governors Challenge, one of the largest holiday basketball tournaments in the country held in Maryland. Under the agreement, the Starter brand will serve as the Official Apparel, Event Merchandise, and On-Site Activation Partner for both the 2025 High School (December 26-30) and College tournaments (November 21-23).

This marks one of the largest youth sports partnerships the Starter brand has made in its recent history, signaling the brand’s growing investment in the youth and amateur basketball ecosystem. Founded in 1971, Starter is a premium athletic brand with deep roots in sports culture, bridging performance, heritage, and style.

Once synonymous with professional leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB, the Starter brand became an icon of 1990s sportswear through its authentic connection to both athletes and fans. Under the leadership of Carl Banks, former New York Giants great and President of Starter, the brand has reemerged with a renewed focus on community, authenticity, and the next generation of athletes — a movement covered by Forbes and Glossy as a “revival of one of America’s most storied sportswear brands.”

“Starter has a storied history in basketball culture, and the Governors Challenge is the perfect platform to connect that legacy with today’s athletes and fans,” said Brian Gallagher, Vice President of Marketing, Starter Athletics. “We’re proud to be part of an event that represents talent, tradition, and community passion for the game.”

As part of the partnership, the Starter brand will have a prominent presence throughout the Governors Challenge footprint, from branded spaces in the team lounge and main venue, to exclusive signage, livestream placements and custom digital content distributed to thousands of attendees and viewers. Starter will also design custom jerseys for the Dunk Contest, provide Starter-branded apparel for all tournament participants and coaches and oversee the official event merchandise collection, co-branded with Governors Challenge. Fans will be able to purchase limited-edition Starter x Governors Challenge merchandise on-site throughout the event.

The partnership extends beyond apparel into storytelling and experience. Through a combination of digital campaigns, on-site fan engagement, and authentic brand integration, Starter aims to celebrate the athletes and families who make this event a holiday tradition.

“The Governors Challenge has always been about more than basketball, it’s about bringing together athletes, families and communities that love the game,” said James Simmons, Tournament Director of the Governors Challenge. “Partnering with a heritage brand like Starter elevates that experience. Their energy, legacy, and commitment to authenticity make them the perfect fit for this stage.”

The agreement was facilitated by BASE Sports Group, the sponsorship agency representing Governors Challenge and connecting major brands to the youth and amateur sports ecosystem. The Governors Challenge continues to grow its national presence as one of the premier basketball showcases in the country, featuring more than 130 teams across high school and college divisions, with alumni who have gone on to programs such as Duke, Maryland, Villanova, and Kentucky and even professional leagues worldwide. The 2025 event will continue its legacy of spotlighting emerging talent and community engagement throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Starter is a member and supporter of NSGA. Starter founder David Beckerman is a member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.