HAECO INVITATIONAL ANNOUNCES FIELD CHANGES AND SCHOOL DONATIONS
GREENSBORO, N.C. – When the 2025 HAECO Invitational tips off in December, one new school and one returning school will be in the field, the tournament announced today. The 49th HAECO Invitational is set for Dec. 18-20, 2025 at the Greensboro Complex Novant Health Fieldhouse and Special Events Center.
High Point’s Wesleyan Academy Trojans will join the HAECO Invitational field for the first time in December bringing historically powerful teams to both the men’s and women’s tournaments, and the Northern Guilford Nighthawks will return. Smith High School, one of the tournament’s four original teams, withdrew due to scheduling concerns, and Ragsdale High School rotated out of the tournament field.
The HAECO Invitational is a true “invitational” tournament; schools are invited to compete each year and sign a one-year agreement. The Greensboro Sports Council reserves the right to change the field at any time. The 2025 field includes Bishop McGuinness, Dudley, Greensboro Day School, Grimsley, Northern Guilford, Page, Southeast Guilford and Wesleyan Academy.
Northern Guilford withdrew from the tournament in 2016 due to conference realignment; multiple tournament teams from their conference forced them to play those schools too often. The conference alignment that starts with the 2025-’26 season alleviates those issues for Northern but creates them for Smith. Had the Golden Eagles stayed in the HAECO field, they would have faced three teams from the new Metro 6A/7A Conference.
Financially, the tournament donated $20,000 to last year’s participating schools – $2,500 for each institution. In addition, the Council awarded four $2,000 Bill Lee Scholarships, made a $1,000 donation to Operation Helo in support of western North Carolina hurricane relief, in honor of outgoing tournament chair James Gentry, and made a $1,000 donation to the Corrigan Faircloth Chapter of the National Football Foundation to sponsor a scholarship.
“Wesleyan Academy has historically had two strong programs with an energetic fan base; we look forward to welcoming them to the HAECO Invitational,” Greensboro Sports Council President Brett Schulman said. “Northern had some excellent HAECO performances when they played, and we look forward to their return. We thank both Ragsdale and Smith High Schools for their commitment to the HAECO Invitational over the years and wish them all the best as they move forward.
“Last year’s tournament enjoyed solid community support allowing it to make a small profit. We are thrilled to honor the tournament mission by passing those proceeds along to the 2024 participating schools.”
The Wesleyan Academy men’s team has six NCISAA state championships to its credit in addition to six runner-up finishes in the independent school tournament while the women’s team has one state title and two runner-up finishes. The Northern Guilford women’s team appeared in the HAECO Invitational championship game three times (2014, ’16 and ’17) but did not win a title. Northern joined the HAECO Invitational in 2009 and left following the 2016 tournament.
About the HAECO Invitational:
The HAECO Invitational is an annual high school basketball tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Founded in 1976 as the Little 4 Invitational, the tournament features men’s and women’s teams representing eight high schools located in or around Guilford County. The tournament is played at the Greensboro Complex. Tournament proceeds are donated to local charities and the participating schools; the HAECO Invitational is planned and presented by the Greensboro Sports Council. For more information, please visit www.HAECOInvitational.com and follow the event on Instagram, X and Facebook: @HAECOInvit.
Courtesy of Rob Goodman, 3-G Sports, LLC