Grand Rapids, Michigan · October 2026
The Great LakesClassic
Regional Championship Foosball Tournament
Four days of championship foosball in Grand Rapids. Juniors and touring professionals play at the same tables. Every dollar raised helps put free foosball tables in schools.
Registration is open. The group rate has closed, but the host hotel still has rooms.
Organized by the United States Table Soccer Organization (USTSO)
200+
Players in 2025
60+
Schools with FCUSA tables
3
Years running
The FCUSA Mission
A place every kid belongs.
Every dollar raised helps FCUSA donate foosball tables, curriculum, and special services to qualified schools and youth serving organizations.
The official flyers
Schedule, payouts, and event details, straight from USTSO. Flip through all three.
The schedule is here
29 events over four days. Open a day, or filter to the events you play.
Filter events
Thursday, October 15First serve 12:00 PM7 events
Swipe the table for payouts
| Time | Event | Format | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Goalie Wars | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
| 1:00 PM | Senior Singles | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
| 2:00 PM | Beginner Singles | CF 2/3 | Jacket / Arnold PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 3:00 PM | Senior Doubles | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
| 4:00 PM | Amateur Singles | DE 2/3 | $150 / OH PKG | $80 | $50 | $25 |
| 6:00 PM | Pro-Am Doubles | DE 2/3 | 50% payback / WI PKG | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
| 10:00 PM | Thursday NC DYP | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
Friday, October 16First serve 11:00 AM7 events
Swipe the table for payouts
| Time | Event | Format | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Rookie Doubles | CF 2/3 | Jackets / CA PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 1:00 PM | Pro Doubles | DE 2/3 | $400 | $200 | $150 | $100 |
| 3:00 PM | Expert Singles | CF 2/3 | $200 / SD PKG | $100 | $50 | $25 |
| 3:00 PM | Woman's Singles | DE 2/3 | 50% payback | 30% payback | 20% payback | - |
| 5:00 PM | Amateur Doubles | DE 2/3 | $200 / OH PKG | $100 | $60 | $40 |
| 8:00 PM | Open Singles | CF 3/5 | $600 / CR PKG | $300 | $200 | $100 |
| 10:00 PM | Friday NC DYP | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
Saturday, October 17First serve 10:00 AM9 events
Swipe the table for payouts
| Time | Event | Format | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Junior Singles U16 | CF 2/3 | Trophy / FL PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 10:00 AM | Junior Singles U19 | CF 2/3 | Trophy / FL PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 11:00 AM | Junior Doubles U16 | CF 2/3 | Trophy / FL PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 11:00 AM | Junior Doubles U19 | CF 2/3 | Trophy / FL PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 11:00 AM | Expert Doubles | CF 2/3 | $300 / SD PKG | $150 | $100 | $50 |
| 1:00 PM | Pro Singles | DE 2/3 | $300 / CR PKG | $160 | $60 | $30 |
| 2:00 PM | Woman's Doubles | DE 2/3 | 50% payback | 30% payback | 20% payback | - |
| 7:00 PM | MiFoos Hall of Fame Ceremony. Inductees Ron Olson and James Hart. Annual FCUSA Awards. | |||||
| 8:00 PM | Open Doubles | CF 3/5 | $1,400 | $600 | $300 | $200 |
| 10:00 PM | Saturday NC DYP | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
Sunday, October 18First serve 10:00 AM5 events
Swipe the table for payouts
| Time | Event | Format | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Champions Cup | SE / 4 games | $800 | $400 | $200 | - |
| 3:00 PM | Beginner Doubles | CF 2/3 | Jackets / Arnold PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 4:00 PM | Open Mixed | CF 2/3 | 50% payback | 30% payback | 20% payback | - |
| 5:00 to 8:00 PM | Fastest Shot, by Foosgadgets · $10 entry · Winner: Jacket / Trophy | |||||
| 6:00 PM | Rookie Singles | CF 2/3 | Jacket / CA PKG | Trophy | Trophy | - |
| 8:00 PM | Sunday NC DYP | SE 2/3 | 50% payback | 20% payback | 10% payback | - |
Format key
- SE 2/3
- Single elimination, best of 3 games
- DE 2/3
- Double elimination, best of 3 games
- CF 2/3
- Championship format: winner side best of 5, loser side best of 3
- CF 3/5
- Championship format, best of 5 games
- NC DYP
- Night club draw your partner. Show up solo, get drawn a partner
Event fees
- Beginner $15, Rookie $20, Amateur $25 (low tier)
- Expert $30, Pro $40 (high tier), Master $50
- Registration: $50
- Event fees apply to both individual and Cup events. Masters play risk free.
Junior pricing and financial aid
- Junior players pay $10 per event for their junior events.
- All junior players get 50% off registration.
- Junior players skip WFT dues at their first WFT tournament.
- Financial aid is available for junior players who cannot afford to play. Ask at registration or email foosballclubsusa@gmail.com.
The Champions Cup
Modeled after the ITSF World Cup, so players get a real World Cup experience. Not everyone makes the team. At the Great Lakes Classic, you build your own. High tier players teach low tier players. Everyone gets a chance, and everyone makes the team.
- Game 1: Low Tier Singles (5 points)
- Game 2: Low Tier Doubles (5 points)
- Game 3: High Tier Singles (5 points)
- Final Game: High Tier Doubles (5 points)
- Each player can only play 1 game per match.
- 6 players required, 2 alternates allowed, one from each tier.
- Required: 1 Beginner or Rookie in one of the two low tier games, and 1 Expert in one of the two high tier games.
- Limit: 1 Master, 1 Pro or 2 Pros. Lower tier players may play in higher tier positions.
Fastest Shot at the Classic
FCUSA is a proud partner of Foosgadgets, and FCUSA students love the Speed Bridge. Entry is $10 for three shots. First place takes a jacket and a trophy. Shots close at 8:00 PM Sunday and the winner is announced.
World Foosball Tour
This is a World Foosball Tour event. WFT runs the national tour that connects tournaments into one circuit. All players self register at WorldFoosballTour.com. WFT dues apply, but not for junior players in their first WFT tournament. The event streams free on YouTube on the World Foosball Tour page.
Packages awarded
All packages are non transferable. Winners get a pick 4 package. Event registration and yearly dues are not included.
With thanks to these championship tournaments: Ohio State Championships, Wisconsin State Championships, South Dakota State Championships, Florida State Championships, California State Championships, Costa Rican Open Championships, Arnold Classic Championships.
About USTSO
The United States Table Soccer Organization sanctions competitive table soccer in the United States. It sets the standards and sanctions the events that make up the national circuit. The Great Lakes Classic is a USTSO sanctioned event.
The Classic links the organizations that do the most for foosball. The innovators. The leaders. Every package here comes from a championship that built something real in its own state. The Great Lakes Classic puts them on one table.
Prefer the print version? Open the schedule flyer or the event details flyer.
Sunday, 5 to 8 PM
Fastest Shot, by Foosgadgets
Clip the Speed Bridge on, take your three shots, and post your top MPH from your phone. Your score goes on the national board too.
- $10 for three shots
- Jacket and trophy for first place
- Shots close at 8:00 PM Sunday
Junior players: save your spot
Junior divisions fill first. RSVP now and we hold your player's spot for the U16 and U19 events. A parent or guardian signs up, takes one minute.
Heads up
Plan for a long day
Junior events can run as late as 6 or 7 pm. A big turnout pushes finish times later. Plan rides and dinner with that in mind.
For Parents
New to tournaments? Start here
How rankings work
Players compete in tiers, set by World Foosball Tour points. Players gain and lose points based on how they do in official tournaments, so the tier always matches real skill. Every player starts at zero.
- Master5,000+ points
- Pro4,000 to 4,999
- Expert3,000 to 3,999
- Amateur2,000 to 2,999
- RookieNew players start here1,000 to 1,999
- BeginnerNew players start here0 to 999
Not ranked yet? Play Beginner and Rookie
If your player is new and has no ranking, we recommend the BEGINNER and ROOKIE events. The competition is right-sized, the trophies are real, and it is the best first-tournament experience a kid can have.
Junior events are extra, not instead
The U16 and U19 junior events on Saturday are just for juniors. Your player can enter those AND the tier events that fit them. Junior events are $10 each.
The first one is the cheapest
Juniors get 50% off registration, and WFT dues are waived at a junior's first WFT tournament. Financial aid is available too, so money never keeps a kid from playing.
Not sure where your player fits?
Email us at foosballclubsusa@gmail.com and we will point you to the right events. No wrong answers, just a first serve.
Still needed: player first name, player last name, junior division, parent or guardian name, a valid parent email.
A parent or guardian submits this. We use it only to hold the spot and send event updates. Nothing else, ever.
Youth Grants
Two ways we back the juniors
Foosball Clubs USA puts $1,500 behind the juniors at the 2026 Classic. Two $500 grants are won at the table. Another $500 goes to a student who needs help getting here.
Won on skill
Two $500 Educational Grants
Top ranked male and top ranked female in U19 Singles
The top ranked male player and the top ranked female player in U19 Singles each earn a $500 educational grant. It is a prize for finishing on top on skill. It is NOT a drawing or a raffle.
How the grant works
- It is never paid in cash.
- It is paid to the winner's school, another accredited school, or a 529 college savings plan.
- It reimburses education costs: supplies, books, technology, fees, tuition, and college prep.
- We need receipts or an invoice for those costs before the money is released.
- The winner files a W-9. We issue a 1099 where the law requires one.
- Claim it within 90 days of the event or it is forfeited.
Based on need
Hardship Grants
The other $500 helps a student who wants to compete but cannot afford to attend the Great Lakes Classic. This can be split among more than one student. Foosball Clubs USA reviews each request and selects who receives help based on need.
How the grant works
- Paid toward eligible costs: registration, travel, lodging, and equipment.
- Never paid in cash.
- One $500 pool, so it may be split between students.
Apply
Hardship Grant Application
A parent or guardian fills this out. It goes straight to Foosball Clubs USA and nowhere else.
Rather fill it in by hand? Download the form and email it back to foosballclubsusa@gmail.com.
Host hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Rapids Airport
The $105 group rate closed October 7, but the hotel still has rooms. Book online through the event's own Hilton page and you will get whatever rate is open that night. The block runs October 14 to 20, so you can come early and stay after.
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- 24-hour airport shuttle
- Indoor pool
- Fitness center
- On-site restaurant and bar
- Warm cookie at check-in
Ready to play?
Player registration runs through World Foosball Tour. Sign up is open now. The full schedule and payouts are on the flyers above.
Register on World Foosball TourWorld Foosball Tour
Where you sign up to play. Tables, brackets, and live streams all run through WFT.
USTSOUSA Foosball
The United States Table Soccer Organization. The Classic plays under its banner.
WORLD BODYITSF
The International Table Soccer Federation, home of the world rankings.
THE TABLESTornado
The official tournament table. The same tables the pros play on.
Four Days, Four Promises
Youth divisions run all week. Students and school clubs are the point of this event.
Compete
Play at the highest level of regional table soccer.
Connect
Build community with players and clubs from across the Great Lakes.
Become a Champion
Regional championship titles are on the line all weekend.
Give Back
Make an impact. The event raises funds for Foosball Clubs USA school programs.
The Story
Three years. One big idea.
The Great Lakes Classic started with a simple question. What if a foosball tournament could pay for foosball tables in schools? Three years later, kids drive four hours with their families to play in it.
2024 · Grand Rapids
The first Classic
USTSO brought players from across the Great Lakes to Grand Rapids for the first Classic. A regional championship was born, and so was its purpose: play the game, fund the mission.
2025 · Lansing
The year the kids showed up
More than 200 players filled the ballroom. Students came from over a dozen school districts, some from as far as Alabama. Kids won trophies bigger than their backpacks, and the local press came to watch.
2026 · Grand Rapids
The biggest one yet
The Classic comes home to Grand Rapids for year three. Four days, youth divisions all week, and one goal: fill the room with kids and send the proceeds back to schools.
Kids First
This tournament belongs to the kids
“Most kids love foosball. They just don't know it yet.”
Michael Stahl, Executive Director, Foosball Clubs USA
Real trophies, real titles
Youth divisions crown real champions. Last year students took home trophies, champion jackets, and stories they are still telling.
Play next to the best
At the Classic, the top-ranked players in America compete in the same room as first-time students. Kids watch, learn, and get high fives from their heroes.
Families welcome
Parents, grandparents, and teachers all in one ballroom. Foosball is a game every generation already knows how to cheer for.
Every dollar gives back
The Classic is an FCUSA fundraiser. Money raised puts FREE foosball tables and programs in schools across the country.
Last year, in photos
Scenes from the 2025 Classic in Lansing. This is what your entry fee builds.
Become a Sponsor
Give a kid a place to belong
This October, the Great Lakes Classic brings 50 to 100 young players to Grand Rapids for a week of foosball. For a lot of these kids, this is the first place they feel they fit. Your sponsorship keeps youth entry low, puts a trophy in their hands, and helps us build an event we can run every year.
Our juniors play the best in the world
At the Classic, young players share the table with world champions like Brandon Munoz. They learn from coaches who have competed at the top of the game. Your sponsorship puts your name behind that. All event proceeds go toward starting youth foosball clubs.
A place to belong
Not every kid finds their spot in traditional sports. At the table, the quiet kid and the new kid get a team, a challenge, and a reason to show up.
Real results
Schools that run our program report lower absenteeism and fewer behavior issues. Play is how these kids connect, and connection is what keeps them coming back.
No kid priced out
Your gift keeps youth entry free or low cost, covers trophies and awards, and makes sure money is never the reason a kid cannot play.
Presenting Partner
$2,500
Everything in the levels below, plus a mention on Foosball Radio and top billing on the sponsorship page.
Choose this levelChampion
$1,000
Everything in the levels below, plus a mic and livestream shout-out at the event, and social shout-outs the week before.
Choose this levelTable Sponsor
$500
Your name on the event sponsorship page and on the Event Sponsorship poster shown at the event.
Choose this levelFriend of the Classic
$250
Your name listed on the event sponsorship page at foosballclubsusa.com.
Choose this levelPrefer to give in kind? Prizes, product, and services including signage are welcome. We will find the right way to thank you.
See the full sponsorship page and who has already signed on
Where every sponsorship goes
60%
Event costs
Tables, venue, officials, staffing, and everything it takes to run a great week.
25%
Juniors
Trophies, prizes, and support for the four Junior divisions.
15%
The event you choose
Goes to the payout of any one of the 29 events, with your name on it.
A $1,000 sponsorship is $600 event costs, $250 Juniors, and $150 to the event you pick.
Want to talk it through first? Reach out any time.
Michael Stahl
Executive Director
Who runs the Classic
The groups behind the event
New to foosball? Here is who you would be backing.
The sanctioning body
United States Table Soccer Organization
- USTSO sanctions competitive table soccer in the United States. It sets the standards for the events that make up the national circuit.
- The Great Lakes Classic is a USTSO sanctioned event. It has run the Classic since the first one in 2024.
- Play here counts. Results move a player's World Foosball Tour points, which is how tiers are set.
The nonprofit
Foosball Clubs USA
- A 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We put foosball programs in schools and give schools everything they need to run them.
- Schools get tables certified by the International Table Soccer Federation, from Tornado and Original Leonhart. They are the same tables used in world competition.
- The Classic is our fundraiser. Every dollar raised helps put free tables, curriculum, and coaching into schools.
Tournament services
World Foosball Tour
- World Foosball Tour, or WFT, provides professional tournament services for the Classic.
- Player registration, brackets, and the live stream all run through WFT. Junior players pay no WFT dues for their first WFT tournament.
- WFT points set each player's tier, so every result at the Classic counts toward the national circuit.
In the Press
“More than 200 players gathered for the Great Lakes Classic Foosball Championships.”
The State News, October 2025
Reporters covered the 2025 Classic in Lansing and met the players: a 30-year veteran who calls the foosball community "kind of like a family," and the kids he says are its future.
Read the storyThis is what the fundraiser builds
Money raised at the Classic helps FCUSA donate tables and launch new school clubs. Know a school that deserves one? Nominate it.
Organized by USTSO · A Foosball Clubs USA Fundraiser
See You in Grand Rapids
October 15 to 18. The group rate has closed, but the host hotel still has rooms. The player list hears registration news first.