Breaking News: The Inaugural Tournament of Champions in Nov. 2024 to Match Top Two Teams From 8 Elite Summer Events 

Huge news in the club softball world today as the heads of two of the premier summer travel ball events—Robb Behymer, the director of Top Gun Events and Will Tomasello, the driving force behind Legacy Events and Georgia Impact—announced the launch of the inaugural Tournament of Champions (“The TOC”).

The Tournament of Champions will take place November 8-10, 2024, with the location still to be determined and will bring together at one venue a total of 24 teams in each of the 18U, 16U and 14U age divisions. These will include the champions and runners-up from eight premier fastpitch tournaments as well as eight at-large berths.

At the TOC, the top two teams from the nation’s premier travel ball events of the summer will all come together to compete in one tournament…. these elite events include:

• 2024 Last Blast
• 2024 Show Me the Money
• 2024 Top Gun Invitational
• 2024 Colorado Fireworks
• 2024 Boulder IDT
• 2024 Atlanta Legacy Invitational
• 2024 PGF Nationals
• 2024 Alliance Nationals

“This isn’t just another event,” Behymer said earlier today. “It’s the zenith of all tournaments. The achievement to be crowned as a champion of the Tournament of Champions is a memory that the athletes, parents, and coaches will be able to enjoy well into the Future. To have the chance to compete against the best of the best from the current season is an accomplishment all athletes should be proud to achieve.”

“We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with Will and the Legacy Events staff to host such a prestigious event.”

Qualifying teams will be contacted no later than one week after their qualifying event concludes.

The Tournament of Champions will feature a unique event format with a six-game guarantee through two pool play games and a three-game guarantee bracket. Teams that lose their first three bracket games will play in a consolation game.

Event Dates & Format:

• Friday, Nov. 8, 2024: two pool games (games start as early as 1 pm).
• Saturday, Nov 9, 2024: three-game guarantee bracket begins.
• Sunday, 10, 2024: Bracket play continues and consolation games are played.

According to Behymer and Tomasello, the TOC will also include elevated prize packages, media on hand throughout tournament, metrics events, NCAA certified officials, a vendor row, top notch facilities, slots for team workouts, educational seminars, and will take place during the NCAA Division I fall recruiting window.

Tomasello was asked how the idea came together to create the event.

“From Day 1, Legacy Events and Top Gun Events have been the ‘Switzerland” of travel softball,” he told Extra Inning Softball. “Our mutual goal has been to provide a top-flight event experience without getting into the politics of today’s game. As such, we came together to create a unique platform. That platform is intentionally set in the last month of the recruiting calendar for many of the 2024 champions. The Tournament of Champions is going to be a ‘Next Level’ event consisting of championship teams in every age group whose focus is strictly on competition.”

Is one purpose of the event to try and unify the sport?

“Robb and I both fully understand why the travel community has become so fragmented,” Tomasello continues. “We would not dare be so arrogant to say our event is capable of unifying the game. We simply want teams, coaches and clubs to set aside their respective agendas and come together for a competitive weekend of softball. Together, we believe we bring a unique skill in hosting this event and look forward to shaping next generation play.”

Tomasello stressed that the Tour of Championship should not be looked at as a National Championship.

“Most definitely not!” he stated. “The game already consist of highly competitive and qualified National Championship(s). Our event format is for champions wanting to play in a highly competitive environment.”

The longtime softball events figure believes the TOC could be a springboard to more people and events working together in the future.

“First of all,” he continued, “we want to remind everyone that we are event companies first and our focus is to ensure that teams have a memorable experience while competing. Secondly, we are nimble enough to change and morph within and outside of the game. Lastly, we would not rule future collaborations.

For more information visit click HERE or visit www.TOCFastpitch.com.

Brentt Eads/Extra Inning softball

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