Our Mission & Why
Who we are, who we play for, how we runReal basketball, run right, for grown hoopers.
Fort Worth Premium Basketball League is a new competitive men's league launching from local Fort Worth rec centers. We target serious 25+ players while still giving skilled 18–24 year olds a real shot to earn a roster spot. Intermediate and advanced only — this is real runs, not pickup.
Every dollar collected goes directly back into the league — referees, jerseys, gym rental, insurance, basketballs, end-of-season trophies, and future growth. No one is getting rich off the players. This is about discipline, competition, and building something lasting that Fort Worth hoopers can be proud of.
For hoopers who still got it.
Fort Worth has always had ballers. Every neighborhood, every era. Before any of us ever stepped on a real gym floor, the game was being played on the block — driveways, hood courts, street rims, full crowds of homies. That's where we all started. That's how this city raised its hoopers.
And before any of us put on a jersey, Coach Robert Hughes put Fort Worth on the basketball map. State championships. The winningest record in American high school history. A court at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center that carries his name — a court a lot of us in this city actually played on. He set the standard. The rest of us are just trying to live up to it.
FWPBL is for the guys who still got it and don't have a real place to put it on display. The hoopers who quit playing because the league they played in wasn't run right. The ones who can still go — whether you're 25, 35, or 45 — but won't take the floor for less than real competition.
Built from scratch, in the city that built us. Paying our dues to the ones who came before — and giving the next chapter somewhere serious to play.
Robert Hughes Sr. coached more games and won more of them than any high school boys basketball coach in American history. Forty-seven seasons in Fort Worth: fifteen at I.M. Terrell, thirty-two at Dunbar. Five state championships. Thirty-five district titles. Named the nation's winningest high school coach on February 11, 2003. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
When the Flying Wildcats took the floor, the gym filled. Hughes played a fast-break, full-court, above-the-rim style nobody else in Texas could match — averaging 84 points a game in 32-minute high school contests, more points per minute than the Dallas Mavericks at the time. Texas Monthly called it the "Dunbar mystique." His teams turned TCU's Daniel-Meyer Coliseum into a sellout for district games, and drew over 16,000 fans to the state final in Austin.
Robert Hughes Court at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center carries his name. So does the spirit of every gym in this city that takes the game seriously.
Run like a business, not a side hustle.
Every game is reffed by certified officials. Full league liability insurance covers every player, every minute on the floor. On-duty licensed officers handle security at every game — same as any real event in the city — so gym days stay safe for players, staff, and families alike.
Players and staff safety comes above everything else. If something goes wrong, we handle it the right way — no excuses. The front office answers DMs, returns calls, and shows up. This is how we earn the trust you're giving us.
More than a game — an event you don't miss.
FWPBL games are built to bring out the city. Food vendors stationed on site. Live music in the background, moderated so the game stays the center of attention. Halftime contests — half-court shots for cash and prizes, with new activities added throughout the season.
Bring your wife. Bring your kids. Bring your homies. Family-friendly from tip-off to final buzzer. The crowd is half the energy — and we make sure they want to be there.
How It Works
Try Out
Pay your $10 and lock your tryout spot. Show up June 27 at Chisholm Trail, ball with the rest of the pool, get your game on tape.
Get Drafted
Top performers earn spots on one of 8 teams. Balanced draft by league organizers — no stacked rosters. Buddy packs of up to 3 stay together, with commissioner balancing skill across the league.
Play the Season
Pay your $125 season fee. Run a 12-week regular season, single-elimination playoffs, championship trophy, MVP honors.
Open Tryouts
Register · pay · print passInaugural Tryout Day
Frequently Asked
What does the $125 season fee cover?
What if I don't make the cut after tryouts?
Are refunds available?
Who can play? Age limits?
When does the season start and end?
Where are games played?
How do I contact the league?
Standings
Live week 1 · mid-July 2026| # | Team | W | L | PCT | DIFF | STRK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — Team 1 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | — Team 2 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | — Team 3 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | — Team 4 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | — Team 5 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | — Team 6 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | — Team 7 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | — Team 8 (TBD) | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
Games
How the season runsTwo game nights · four games a week
The league runs on a tight, predictable weekly rhythm so games are easy to plan around work and family. Every player gets at least one game every single week.
- 2 game nights per week — same nights every week, locked once the season starts
- 2 games per night — back-to-back at the same venue, so you can come watch the early game before yours
- 4 games per week total across the whole league
- At 8 teams: every team plays at least 1 game per week, guaranteed
12 weeks regular · playoffs to close
Regular season runs mid-July through early October. Standings determine playoff seeding. A single-elimination bracket caps the year with a championship game, trophies, and MVP recognition.
Real games at real gyms
- Primary venue: Chisholm Trail Community Center
- Certified referees on every game — no friend-of-the-league reffing
- League insurance covers every game
- Full schedule posts here once teams are drafted in early July
Teams
Structure & expansion planHow rosters get built
Eight teams to start. Rosters are drafted from the tryout pool in the week after tryouts close. Captains are selected by league organizers based on tryout performance — you'll know who's wearing the C before opening night.
- 8 teams · 8 players per roster
- Balanced draft for competitive parity (no stacked teams)
- Captains pick team names and reversible jersey colors
- Final rosters announced here the week before opening night
Solo or with your crew — competition stays balanced.
FWPBL runs a hybrid draft. You can register two ways:
- Solo ($10) — Try out, get drafted onto the team where your skill best fits. Standard path. Most players will roll this way.
- Buddy pack ($10/each + $20 captain fee) — Up to 3 players (one captain + up to 2 buddies) register together. Captain pays the $20 group reservation fee. The pack stays together at draft.
One rule that protects competition: the commissioner reserves the right to place buddy packs onto teams that need their skill profile. You'll play together, but skill stays distributed across the league. Groups of 4+ get split. This isn't a "stack your whole crew on one team" league — it's competitive basketball with the people you came to play with.
Demand keeps coming? We grow.
Eight teams and 64 player slots is the baseline. If we fill up and the waitlist keeps building, we open expansion before the season starts:
- Waitlist opens automatically once the 64 tryout spots are claimed
- A strong waitlist triggers a second tryout day to round out the league
- Upside if demand really hits — more players on the 8 teams, and the door is open for additional teams
- Any updates announced here and on Instagram
Where the rosters will live
Once teams are drafted, this panel becomes the home for every roster — tap a team to see its full lineup, captain, jersey color, and head-to-head record. For now: eight confirmed slots, with expansion slots ready if waitlist demand triggers them.
Stat Leaders
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