CTBBALL

Connecticut Basketball Conference

Teaching Winning Habits · ctbball.org
20th Winter Season · 2026–27
Grades 4–8 · Girls & Boys
League Overview
About Connecticut Basketball
The Connecticut Basketball Conference will tip off its 20th season in December 2026, making it one of the oldest — and largest — travel and high school basketball leagues in New England. It plays more than 2,000 games each winter season, providing town/travel, high school, and AAU basketball opportunities for girls and boys who are qualified, both by ability and desire, to compete in a competitive basketball environment. In town/travel play, our boys' and girls' teams compete in the 4th–8th grade divisions.
Our Mission
The goal of our program is to teach winning habits — since no school offers a class called "perseverance," "grit," or "drive." We view the basketball court as a classroom that happens to have lines painted on the floor, where kids learn the lessons that endure a lifetime.
Our Program
  • 1.
    Regular Season. Play begins the first week of December and runs until the third week of February. We typically play on Fridays (junior divisions only), Saturdays, and Sundays.
  • 2.
    Post-Season. Our post-season, the "Conference Tournament," begins the final week of February (opening round games) and runs two weekends, ending the first weekend of March (Final Four & Championship Games). All teams qualify for this single-elimination tournament. Teams finishing the regular season with a winning record are placed in an "NCAA Bracket" with all other teams above .500; teams finishing below .500 are placed in an "NIT Bracket" and battle for the NIT crown.
  • 3.
    Tournament Play. Connecticut Basketball sponsors the following in-season tournaments — all New England Championship qualifiers: (i) Pre-Season Turkey Shoot (Thanksgiving Tournament); (ii) Santa's Shootout; and (iii) MLK Day Classic.
  • 4.
    Special Events / Annual All-Star Game. Our Annual All-Star Classic for all grade levels is played on President's Day in either Berlin, CT or Middletown, CT.
  • 5.
    Community Service Events. Mandatory for all member Clubs: (i) Annual Food Drive (December); (ii) Coaches versus Cancer Pink-Out (February); (iii) Shoot for a Better Future Scholarships (March).
Team Eligibility & Requirements
  • All players from any Club or team must be from the same town. (Any exception to this rule must be expressly approved by Connecticut Basketball's President.)
  • Players are strictly prohibited from "playing down," but are permitted — and encouraged — to "play up."
  • Clubs and teams must provide proof of insurance and keep said insurance in good standing.
  • Clubs and teams must execute a League waiver and release of liability at the beginning of each season.
Scheduling
Our League centrally schedules all games; scheduling and divisional placement are based on (1) town size and location, (2) analytics regarding a team's prior performance, and (3) other relevant data, including changes in a team's composition from year to year. Following this analysis, Connecticut Basketball produces a schedule for each team, posted in November and running from December through the first week of March.
Each team's schedule is predominantly made up of teams within their geographic region. However, we typically "meet in the middle" at neutral sites in North Haven, Berlin, New Britain, and similar locations, enabling teams in the far reaches of Eastern Connecticut to play teams from the far reaches of Western Connecticut.
A full schedule — for a team that hosts 8 home dates and can play without restriction on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday — is 16–20 League games, with most such teams playing more than 20. These teams typically play a minimum of two games per weekend. A partial schedule is 10 to 15 games, typically for teams not available on all three days.
Fees
With a Home Gym
$375
Per team, committing to 6–8 home dates. Includes the playoffs. (Our sister leagues charged $525/team for 2025–26, expected to rise in 2026–27.)
Without a Home Gym
~$250
Per player, for the regular season and playoffs. Home games are played at a neutral site (6 "home games"), with the remainder as road games.
How to Apply
To apply for admission, complete our online application at www.ctbball.org — click Registrations, then New Team Applications. Your completed application will be transmitted electronically to our League President, Gary Collins.
Gary Collins — CEO & Commissioner — garyhughcollins@gmail.com · (860) 316-7183
Application Deadline
October 31, 2026
We unfortunately do not accept all teams that apply to Connecticut Basketball.
We look forward to seeing you on the court!