Ohio Basketball

What Ohio Basketball does

Ohio Basketball is a youth basketball tournament and exposure event organizer operating as a brand under 3 Step Sports LLC, a privately held Ohio-based LLC founded in 1996. The company organizes NCAA-certified exposure tournaments and competitive leagues for boys and girls in grades 3 through 12 across 11 or more U.S. states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New York. Its event portfolio includes marquee properties such as the Bearcat Classic, Grassroots Championship, Run 4 Roses, and National Championship, with events hosted at premier facilities including Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill, Kentucky Exposition Center, and NRG Center Houston. The company claims the largest reach of any U.S. tournament operator, with 5,500+ participating teams and 2,500+ college programs attending events annually.

The business generates revenue through multiple streams: per-team registration fees ranging from approximately $285 to $622 depending on event, spectator admission (weekend passes $45-$85, day passes $7-$30), college recruiting packets sold to athletes and families, and commission-based Stay-to-Play hotel programs managed through Presto EventPipe. The technology stack is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary infrastructure: PlayerFirst Technology provides registration, roster management, and waiver processing with single-login access across 150+ youth sport organizations, while Be The Beast provides live streaming for college recruiters. The company employs 19 people at its Strongsville, Ohio headquarters and serves four primary customer segments: AAU/travel basketball teams, youth players (grades 3-12), parents/guardians, and college basketball programs. Go-to-market is event-driven, with demand generated through tournament participation and digital channels including a 19.7K-follower Instagram presence and targeted email marketing.

Name

Ohio Basketball

Legal name

3 Step Sports LLC

Website

https://ohiobasketball.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ohio Basketball, a brand of 3 Step Sports LLC, organizes NCAA-certified youth basketball exposure tournaments, leagues, and camps across 11+ U.S. states, serving AAU/travel teams, individual players (grades 3-12), parents, and college recruiters through an event-driven model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Event Management

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Spectator Sports (7112), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF), College Recruiting & Scholarship Advisory / Athlete Placement (HSADAEAL)

Keywords

• Youth basketball tournaments
• AAU basketball events
• College exposure events
• Basketball league operations
• Youth sports management

Headquarters

HQ city

Strongsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Team Registration Fees: Teams pay registration fees to participate in tournaments and leagues. Fees vary by event, with prices ranging from approximately $285 to $622 per team depending on the event type and format.
2. Spectator Admission: Weekend passes and day passes sold to spectators attending tournaments. Pricing varies by event with adult weekend passes around $45-85 and day passes ranging from $7-30.
3. College Recruiting Packets: Sale of college recruitment information packets to athletes and families seeking college basketball opportunities.
4. Stay-to-Play Hotel Programs: Partnership-based lodging programs where teams book hotels through the organization's preferred partners as part of event requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ohio Basketball organizes and operates youth basketball exposure tournaments, AAU-certified competitive events, multi-game leagues, 3v3 summer competitions, and player evaluation services across 11 U.S. states. The core business connects travel basketball teams and individual athletes (grades 3-12) with college recruiters through NCAA-certified showcase events, with revenue generated primarily from per-team registration fees and ancillary services like live streaming and recruitment packets.

Product overview

Ohio Basketball is a youth basketball tournament and event organization company that operates a portfolio of exposure events, tournaments, leagues, and camps for boys and girls across multiple U.S. states. The core offering consists of exposure events (Bearcat Classic, Grassroots Showcase, Grassroots Showdown, Grassroots Invitational, Grassroots Championship for boys; The Clash, Clash of the Clubs, The Classic, Run 4 Roses events, National Championship for girls) designed to connect young athletes with college recruiters. Supporting products include 3v3 summer leagues, HS camps, player evaluations, and stay-to-play hotel programs. The company utilizes PlayerFirst Technology for registration and Be The Beast for live streaming, but these are platform partners rather than internally-built products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boys Exposure Events
• Girls Exposure Events
• 3v3 Summer League
• 3 on 3 Holiday Events
• HS Camps
• Player Evaluations
• Multi-Game Leagues
• Stay-to-Play Hotel Program
• College Recruiting Packets

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bleacher ProspectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented partner for the Grassroots Showdown event. Bleacher Prospect partners with Ohio Basketball to enhance the college recruiting and exposure experience for participants.
• Point Team CampsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPoint Team Camps is linked from Ohio Basketball's HS Camps section as a recommended camp program for high school players seeking additional training and exposure opportunities.
• Kentucky Exposition CentercoreOthersPrimary venue partner for major boys exposure events including Grassroots Showcase, Grassroots Championship, and Bearcat Classic. Multi-court facility hosting thousands of players across multiple divisions.
• NRG Center (Houston, TX)coreOthersHost venue for Clash of the Clubs, a major girls exposure event. The iconic Alamodome/NRG stadium complex provides large-scale facilities with 20+ courts.
• Spooky Nook Sports Champion MillcoreOthersPrimary venue for The Final Look event and Bearcat Classic. Major sports complex providing multi-court facilities for tournament operations.
• Be The BeastcoreTechnology or IntegrationLive streaming platform partner providing game broadcasts for college coaches and recruiters. Offers separate recruiter and parent/fan viewing portals. Also provides college packet sales and recruiting management tools.
• Presto EventPipe (Hotel Lodging)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLodging partner for Stay-to-Play events. Manages hotel bookings for teams attending tournaments, providing preferred rates and ensuring accommodation availability during major events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Five Star Basketball: National basketball event and camp operator with strong recruiting-event pedigree. Directly comparable event operator competing for travel teams and college exposure business.
• Hoop Group: Long-running youth basketball event organizer (Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, etc.) running tournaments, camps, and showcases. Operates in the same basketball tournament/exposure category as Ohio Basketball at a regional level.
• Zero Gravity Basketball: Northeast-based youth basketball tournament and league operator running competitive events across multiple states. Directly comparable to Ohio Basketball in event format, target audience, and AAU/travel basketball positioning.
• Adidas Gauntlet: Adidas-sponsored AAU basketball circuit offering marquee events with college exposure. Direct competitor for elite boys and girls travel basketball teams seeking NCAA-certified exposure in the same event format.
• Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League): Nike-sponsored elite AAU basketball circuit running Peach Jam and other marquee events. Directly competes with Ohio Basketball for top-tier travel teams and college exposure at the AAU/travel basketball circuit level.
• Under Armour Association: Under Armour-sponsored elite youth basketball circuit. Direct competitor targeting the same top-tier travel teams and NCAA-certified exposure events as Ohio Basketball.

Emerging players

• Prep Hoops: Youth basketball media and scouting platform covering high school and AAU basketball across multiple states. Adjacent to Ohio Basketball's player-evaluation and recruiting-services offerings, with stronger content/subscription monetization.
• Made Hoops: Growing youth basketball event organizer and media platform running competitive tournaments and showcases. Emerging direct competitor in the AAU/exposure event space, with stronger media/digital presence for younger demographics.

Others

• SportsEngine (NBC Sports): Leading youth sports management platform providing registration, tournament management, and websites. While a software/enabling layer rather than a direct event operator, its platform directly competes with the PlayerFirst technology Ohio Basketball uses for registration and team management.

Broad incumbents

• USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association): Established multi-sport sanctioning body and tournament organizer with basketball among many sports. Comparable event operator with broader sport portfolio and national footprint, providing similar registration/certification infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Ohio_Basketball
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Ohiobasketballcom
• Facebookfacebook.com/ohiobasketball.tournaments
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohiobball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-basketball

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Basketball