High school and academy basketball has now hit the global stage thanks to WorldStage Sports.
On Thursday, Oct. 8, it was announced that WorldStage Sports has launched ATLAS, a new international league that will feature the world's best high school and academy basketball teams.
This new league features 11 of the best teams from all over the globe with four different countries being represented. The list of American teams includes DME Academy (FL), IMG Academy (FL), Prolific Prep (FL), SPIRE (OH) and Sunrise Christian (KS).
Breaking: World Stage Sports unveils ATLAS, a new global league for high school and academy basketball, sources tell ESPN’s @PaulBiancardi. pic.twitter.com/96zNhaJBXh
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) October 8, 2026
The six international teams included are Mega Basket (Serbia),
OrangeAcademy (Ulm, Germany), Orange1 (Bassano, Italy), Orangeville Prep (Ontario, Canada), Pallacanestro (Varese, Italy) and Žalgiris, (Lithuania).
"ATLAS has been a long time coming, and we are proud to finally give people a truly global stage to see the future stars of the sport in one place," ATLAS Commissioner Mike Morreale said in a release. "This league will have the top teams and players from around the world competing for the ultimate title, to be crowned world champions - something that we haven't been able to do at this level before."
The season consists of five regular season tournament weekends that will lead into the ATLAS playoffs. Those will be played next March in Toronto.
As for the regular season, it tips off at IMG with games being played from November 11-13. Regular season games will be hosted both in Europe and North America from November to February.
"Atlas is building what I believe is the first truly elite international youth basketball league, bringing together top programs from North America and Europe," SPIRE said head coach Kevin Boyle included in the release. "Through world-class competition, coaching, and exposure to different styles of play and cultures, we are preparing the next generation for high-level college basketball, the NBA, and Europe's premier professional leagues."
Below is the full schedule for the league's inaugural season.
Full ATLAS 2026-27 Season Schedule
November 11-13 (Bradenton, FL)
- 12 games with all teams competing
November 19 (Daytona Beach, FL)
- DME Academy vs. IMG Academy
December 2 (Location TBD)
- IMG Academy vs. Prolific Prep
December 6 (Miami, FL)
- 2 games with Sunrise Christian, DME Academy, Spire and Prolific Prep competing
December 14-16 (Varese, Italy)
- 6 games with Zalgiris, Ulm, Mega Superbet, Varese, Orange1Bassano competing
January 4-7
- 16 games with all teams competing
February 5-7 (Geneva, OH)
- 4 games with Spire, DME Academy, Geneva, Sunrise Christian, IMG Academy, Orangeville Prep competing
February 18-20 (Phoenix, AZ)
- 13 games with all teams competing
March 4-7 (Toronto, Canada)
- 15 games with all teams competing
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New, first-of-its-kind international high school basketball league announced
