Gus Macker Tournament Returning to Muncie in July
12.19.2025 / News / Daisy Dale
MUNCIE, Ind. — An official announcement was made that the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will be returning to Muncie this July. Erin Craig, Vice President of Southside Neighborhood Association, signed the official paperwork on Saturday December 13 in front of several people at The Common Market, 900 W 8th St.
Leading up to the announcement Craig heard from the tournament’s team back in October, after her efforts to bring the tournament back to Muncie as early as January 2024. According to the press release, “the return of the Gus Macker tournament started with a thought nearly 2 years ago from Erin Craig, who reached out to Gus Macker leadership to inquire about hosting the event in Muncie again. Shortly after that contact, the pieces to make it happen started to fall into place, and now that thought has become a reality. The tournament will be held July 18 & 19, 2026 at Southside Middle School, a familiar venue for Gus Macker from the past.”
Earl Follin, who has competed in over 300 tournaments and has been involved in the efforts to bring Gus Macker back, told the Post-Democrat: “I think it’d be great. It takes a lot of time to put this together.” Follin, who owns Earl’s Auto Repair, also appeared in a recent photo posted by the official Instagram account of Gus Macker.
President of Southside Neighborhood Association Courtney Marsh said in the press release that “the buzz is starting and we hope to see our community come together for the return of Gus Macker, an iconic tournament that once filled our community with excited basketball players and fans each summer. It’s on its way back, summer 2026!”
Started in 1974 by Scott McNeal, the tournament originated in Michigan between 18 friends and grew into a national event. Muncie was an early city to join and by 1987 it included 75 different cities. Erin Craig believes that Gus Macker “offers so many things to the communities they choose to host their events, like the opportunity to support local charities while providing family-friendly fun and bringing economic dollars to local businesses. My favorite aspect, the reason I wanted the opportunity to have Macker back in Muncie is, the community togetherness it breeds. Gus Macker offers basketball in a unique way that really does bring every person in no matter your skill level, age, or experience. It truly offers the opportunity to bring EVERYONE together.”