April 9–17, 2027 in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Europe's best are flying to Kentucky to play your team.
The first Grind Session World Cup puts U.S. Grind Session programs on the floor against top clubs from Italy, Latvia, Croatia, Belgium, Japan and Dubai. Nine days, one city, and nothing else like it in prep basketball.
Registering and sending your roster takes about five minutes.
The United States against the world
Grind Session registered teams from the U.S. face visiting clubs from six countries, alongside top European academies.
Visiting clubs are announced as they are confirmed.
You already know how your team stacks up at home.
Your players have seen every press, every set and every scouting report in American prep basketball. They have not seen how the rest of the world plays the game. For nine days in April, they will.
International games without the international flight
Your program gets a slate against overseas competition with no passports, no visas and no overseas travel budget.
Film your players can't get anywhere else
Evaluators want to know how a prospect handles styles he has never faced. This is where that film gets made.
The first one only happens once
This is the inaugural World Cup. The programs on the floor in April are the ones every future field is measured against.
Thirteen seasons of proof
- 13
- seasons on the circuit
- ~3,000
- alumni in college or pro basketball
- ~100
- players who reached the NBA
- 400+
- games every season
Grind Session alumni include Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, Jamal Murray, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Green, Deandre Ayton
We have done this before, just not here.
In 2025 the Grind Session took its teams to Italy for the first Bridge of Hoops. In 2026 it was Rome: 13 games, clubs from Italy, Latvia and Dubai, and more than a dozen NBA scouts and executives in the gym. The World Cup brings that field to American soil.
“Our platform has always been about educating, empowering and supporting athletes and their families.”
A FIBA Youth Development Program partner
What your registration covers
A place in the inaugural field
Your program competes in the first Grind Session World Cup, April 9–17, 2027.
Games against international clubs
Matchups with visiting teams from Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The Grind Session stage
The platform that has put prospects in front of college coaches and pro scouts for thirteen seasons.
A roster on file in minutes
Send your roster however you already keep it. We format it for you.
Registration fee: $100 per team.
The field is limited. Registrations are reviewed in the order they arrive.
Register your teamThree steps, about five minutes
Tell us who you are
Program name, location and your coaching staff's contact details.
Send your roster your way
Paste it, upload a spreadsheet or PDF, or type it in. We read it and build the table.
Review and submit
Fix anything we flag, submit, and the Grind Session staff receives a clean report.
Register your team
- 1Team and coaches
- 2Roster
- 3Review
Your program
Coaching staff
We need at least a head coach. Add everyone who should receive event updates.
Questions coaches ask
Who can register?
U.S. programs registered with the Grind Session. Power Conference teams are invited first. International clubs are invited directly by the Grind Session.
What roster details do you need?
For each athlete: jersey number, class, first and last name, date of birth and Instagram handle. For each coach: name, email, phone and Instagram handle.
What files can I upload?
CSV, Excel (.xlsx or .xls) and text-based PDF. If your roster lives in an email or a document, copy it and paste it in.
How does payment work?
Registration fee: $100 per team.
Who do I contact?
Brian L. Clifton, Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships for the Grind Session.
The first field only gets picked once.
April 9–17, 2027. Bowling Green, Kentucky. Put your program on the floor.
Register your team