The Amateur Athletic Union Tournament is the annual American amateur basketball championship series for Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) teams. It started in 1897 and has continued until present. Most finals have been played in a single final format, apart from some occasions that the winner's tournament had been decided by a round robin format.
Later, professional players like David Robinson, Larry Brown, and Gregg Popovich were crowned champions of the AAU. Popovich and Robinson represented the U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars. Between 1920 and 1950, some of the strongest basketball teams in the United States were sponsored by corporations, including Phillips 66, 20th Century Fox, Safeway Inc., Caterpillar Inc., and others.
History By the early 1930s, a few teams had earned reputations for basketball excellence and produced AAU All-Americans such as Forrest DeBernardi, Melvin Miller and Chuck Hyatt. In 1936 the significance of the tournament soared as it became integral part of the process to select US first Olympic team. When the stakes became higher, the competition between AAU and NCAA grew more intense as each organization asserted its claim to represent the US in international competition But the AAU tournaments came to rise during the 1950s and 1960s with teams like the Phillips 66ers, the Peoria Caterpillars, the Akron Goodyears, the Denver D-C Truckers and the Wichita Vickers. These teams played a full schedule each season, topping 30 games a year and traveling throughout the country. Some of them also helped introduce the American style of basketball to foreign players. In 1956, the Buchan Bakers played games in Japan, the Philippines, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Spain. During the 1950s, the rosters of the top amateur teams were filled with former college stars, many of whom had been drafted by the NBA, which was still in its formative years. The amateur teams sometimes offered more money than the pro teams as well as the security of full-time employment. AAU basketball was particularly strong in the Midwest, Southwest and West Coast, where the NBA had not yet established a presence. The top teams also played in the National Industrial Basketball League, which began play in the 1947–48 season, two years before the establishment of the NBA. The NIBL had as many as eleven teams for the 1951–52 season and had nine teams during its next to last season in 1959–60. The Phillips 66ers won the NIBL title 11 of the leagues 14 years of existence. But the goal for all these teams was winning the National AAU Tournament, held each year in Denver. The tournament field was determined by play in regional AAU tournaments, and included the top industrial teams, armed services teams, and often teams just put together for the tournament. Between 1943 and 1963, the Phillips 66ers won the tournament 10 times and the Peoria Caterpillars won five times. But there was always a chance for a surprise team to slip past the favorites. The Buchan Bakers, long shots at the outset of the tournament, won the national championship in 1956. Other one-time winners included the Oakland Bittners, led by Don Barksdale, in 1949 and Stewart Chevrolet, led by George Yardley, in 1951. The appeal of AAU basketball began to decline in the early 1960s as the NBA gained prominence with such players as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. The NIBL folded in 1961, and with expansion of the NBA and the formation of the American Basketball Association in the late 1960s, the annual National AAU Tournament faded from prominence.
AAU Champions 1897 New York 23 Street YMCA (1) (Round Robin) 1898 not held 1899 New York Knickerbocker Athletic Club (1) (Round Robin) 1900 New York Knickerbocker Athletic Club (2) (Round Robin) 1901 Ravenwood YMCA (1) 1902 not held 1903 not held 1904 Buffalo Germans (1) (Round Robin) 1905 Kansas City Athletic Club (1) 1910 National Guard Co. F 1911 not held 1912 not held 1913 Armour Square Cornells (1) (Round Robin) 1914 Armour Square Cornells (2) 1915 San Francisco Olympic Club (1) 1916 University of Utah Utes (1) 1917 Illinois Athletic Club (1) 1918 not held due to World War I 1919 Los Angeles Athletic Club (1) 1920 New York University Violets (1) 1921 Kansas City Athletic Club (2) 1922 Lowe and Campbell (1) 1923 Kansas City Athletic Club (3) 1924 Butler University Bulldogs (1) 1925 Washburn College Ichabods (1) 1926 Hillyard Chemical Shine Alls (1) 1927 Hillyard Chemical Shine Alls (2) 1928 Cook's Paint Boys (1) 1929 Cook's Paint Boys (2) 1930 Wichita Clothiers(1) 1931 Wichita Clothiers (2) 1932 Wichita Clothiers (3) 1933 Diamond DX Oilers (1) 1934 Diamond DX Oilers (2) 1935 South Kansas Stage Lines (1) 1936 Globe Refiners (1) 1937 Denver Safeway Stores (1) 1938 Healey Motors (1) 1939 Denver Nuggets (2) 1940 Phillips 66ers (1) 1941 20th Century Fox (1) 1942 Denver American Legion (3) 1943 Phillips 66ers (2) 1944 Phillips 66ers (3) 1945 Phillips 66ers (4) 1946 Phillips 66ers (5) 1947 Phillips 66ers (6) 1948 Phillips 66ers (7) 1949 Oakland Bittners (1) 1950 Phillips 66ers (8) 1951 Stewart Chevrolet (1) 1952 Peoria Caterpillars (1) 1953 Peoria Caterpillars (2) 1954 Peoria Caterpillars (3) 1955 Phillips 66ers (9) 1956 Buchan Bakers (1) 1957 U.S. Air Force All-Stars (1) 1958 Peoria Caterpillars (4) 1959 Wichita Vickers (1) 1960 Peoria Caterpillars (5) 1961 Cleveland Pipers (1) 1962 Phillips 66ers (10) 1963 Phillips 66ers (11) 1964 Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1) 1965 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (1) 1966 Ford Mustangs (1) 1967 Goodyear Wingfoots (2) 1968 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (2) 1969 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (3) 1970 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (4) 1971 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (5) 1972 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (6) 1973 Marathon Oil (1) 1974 Jacksonville All-Stars (1) 1975 Capital Insulation (1) 1976 Athletes in Action (1) 1977 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (7) 1978 Joliet Christian Youth Center (1) 1979 Joliet Christian Youth Center (2) 1980 Airliner Basketball Club (1) 1981 Brewster-Heights Packing (1) 1982 Brewster-Heights Packing (2) 1983 Houston Flyers (1) 1984 Paul-Son Dice (1) 1985 Brewster-Heights Packing (3) 1986 Continental/Coors (1) 1987 Brewster-Heights Packing (4) 1988 Brewster-Heights Packing (5) 1989 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars (8) 1990 Sam Ragnone Attorney (1) 1991 Lafayette Hustlers (1) 1992 Sam Ragnone Attorney (2) 1993 USA Verich Reps (1) 1994 MNS Stars (1) 1999 Palmer's Tornadoes (1) 2000 Palmer's Tornadoes (2) 2005 The New Beginnings B.C. (1)
Finals YearVenueChampionScoreRunner-Up1905 Francis Field Kansas City Athletic Club Buffalo Germans 1915 Chicago San Francisco Olympic Club 26–16 Whittier College (CA) 1916 Convention Hall University of Utah Utes 28–17 Illinois Athletic Club 1917 Convention Hall Illinois Athletic Club 17–14 Brigham Young University Cougars 1920 Convention Hall New York University Violets 47–24 Rutgers University Scarlet Knights 1921 Convention Hall Kansas City Athletic Club Southwestern College of Winfield Moundbuilders 1922 Convention Hall Lowe and Campbell 42–28 Kansas City Athletic Club 1923 Convention Hall Kansas City Athletic Club 31–18 Hillyard Chemical Shine Alls 1924 Convention Hall Butler University Bulldogs 30–26 Kansas City Athletic Club 1925 Convention Hall Washburn College Ichabods 42–30 Hillyard Chemical Shine Alls 1926 Convention Hall Hillyard Chemical Shine Alls 25–20 Kansas City Athletic Club 1928 Convention Hall Cook's Paint Boys 25–23 Kansas City Athletic Club 1929 Convention Hall Cook's Paint Boys 51–35 Wichita Clothiers 1930 Convention Hall Wichita Clothiers 29–16 San Francisco Olympic Club 1931 Convention Hall Wichita Clothiers 38–14 Kansas City Athletic Club 1932 Convention Hall Wichita Clothiers 15–14 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats 1933Convention HallDiamond DX Oilers25-23Chicago Rosenberg-Arvey1934 Convention Hall Diamond DX Oilers 29–19 Wyoming University Cowboys 1935 Convention Hall South Kansas Stage Lines 45–26 Globe Refiners 1936 Convention Hall McPherson Globe Refiners 47–35 Universal Pictures 1937 Denver Auditorium Arena Denver Safeway Stores 43–38 Phillips 66ers 1938 Denver Auditorium Arena Healy Motors 40–38 Denver Safeway Stores 1939 Denver Auditorium Arena Denver Nuggets 25–22 Phillips 66ers 1940 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 39–36 Denver Nuggets 1941 Denver Auditorium Arena 20th Century Fox 47–34 San Francisco Olympic Club 1942 Denver Auditorium Arena Denver American Legion 45–32 Phillips 66ers 1943 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 39–36 Denver Nuggets 1944 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 50–43 Denver Ambrose-Legion 1945 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 47–46 Denver Ambrose Jellymakers 1946 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 45–34 San Diego Dons 1947 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 62–41 Oakland Bittners 1948 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 62–48 Denver Nuggets 1949 Denver Auditorium Arena Oakland Bittners 55–51 Phillips 66ers 1950 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 65–42 Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas 1951 Denver Auditorium Arena Stewart Chevrolet 76–55 Poudre Valley Creamery 1952 Denver Auditorium Arena Peoria Cats 66–53 Phillips 66ers 1953 Denver Auditorium Arena Peoria Cats 73–62 Los Alamitos NAS 1954 Denver Auditorium Arena Peoria Cats 63–55 Grihalva Motors 1955 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 66–64 Luckett-Nix Clippers 1956 Denver Auditorium Arena Buchan Bakers 59–57 Phillips 66ers 1957 Denver Auditorium Arena US Armed Forces All-Stars 87–74 San Francisco Olympic Club 1958 Denver Auditorium Arena Peoria Cats 74–71 (3 OT) Denver-Chicago Truckers 1959 Denver Auditorium Arena Wichita Vickers 105–84 Phillips 66ers 1960 Denver Auditorium Arena Peoria Cats 87–73 Akron Wingfoots 1961 Denver Auditorium Arena Cleveland Pipers 107–96 Denver-Chicago Truckers 1962 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 70–58 Denver-Chicago Truckers 1963 Denver Auditorium Arena Phillips 66ers 100–70 Denver-Chicago Truckers 1964 Denver Auditorium Arena Akron Wingfoots 86–78 Phillips 66ers 1965 Denver Auditorium Arena US Armed Forces All-Stars 77–75 Denver Capitol Federal 1966 Denver Auditorium Arena Ford Mustangs 71–67 Phillips 66ers 1967 Denver Auditorium Arena Akron Wingfoots 77–72 Phillips 66ers 1968 Denver Auditorium Arena U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars 73–69 Vaughn Reality 1970 Columbia, South Carolina U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars Columbia Sertoma 1971 London, Kentucky U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars 91–77 Marathon Oil 1976 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Athletes in Action 80–79 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars 1979 Ponca City, Oklahoma Joliet Christian Youth Center 110–100 U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars 1982 Portland, Oregon Brewster-Heights Packing 93–91 Lexington Marathon Oil 1983 Ponca City, Oklahoma Houston Flyers Brewster-Heights Packing 1989 Topeka, Kansas U.S. Armed Forces All-Stars Sam Ragnone Attorney1990 Topeka, Kansas Sam Ragnone Attorney 97–92 Indiana Lafayette Hustlers 1991 Topeka, Kansas Lafayette Hustlers 97–92 Sam Ragnone Attorney1993 Topeka, Kansas USA Verich Reps Shell & Widman-Elk Grove1994 Topeka, Kansas MNS Stars Shell & Widman-Elk Grove2000 Des Moines, Iowa Palmer's Tornadoes Shell & Widman-Elk Grove2005 Des Moines, Iowa The New Beginnings B.C. 101–98 San Francisco Pro Am/Gold Rush
Total titles by club