Twin Ports Border Battle Brings New Competition to Northland

Basketball tournament featured 130 teams

SUPERIOR, Wis.- For the last five years, the Twin Ports Border Battle has rendered the basketball offseason obsolete for players ages 10-18.

“Each year it’s grown, and I think what happens is people come up here, they realize how beautiful Duluth and superior is, and they’re like, I want to come back.”

Playmakers North Director Phil Roe has put in the work to make the Border Battle a marquee event in the Twin Ports, with 130 teams from four different states and Canada competing this year.

“It’s definitely a yearlong job, and you have to make a lot of networking connections,” says Roe.

This year’s tournament got a major assist in the form of a $5,000 donation from Cenovus Energy. “”We know as a community that our communities thrive with sports programs like this,” said Kate Van Daele, a Regional Communications Senior Advisor with Cenovus. “And with the role that Phil (Roe) and his team play and bringing in not only 5,000 Different people to superior for this tournament, but 120+ teams from four states, it’s really important to our community.”

The Twin Ports Border Battle is set to return next year for April 19-20, 2025. You can learn more about the tournament and Playmakers Basketball through this link.