Key Takeaways
- 360 Hoops is an emerging sports-innovation company introducing a patented three-in-one hoop and circular gameplay built on the familiarity of basketball. The company plans to enter 30 markets in 2026 and scale to 60+ in 2027, anchored by flagship sports complexes.
- The system maximizes space, participation, and engagement – enabling scoring on any of three baskets and delivering more skill development, competition, and fun.
- One system adds three hoops to any gym, and up to five fit in a single court footprint – allowing 60 athletes to play simultaneously versus 10 in traditional basketball, a 500% increase in participation at scale.
- Teams of four play ‘King of the Court’ style 3v3v3 games, rotating through offense, defense, and a team in the queue – promoting fast-paced, creative, nonstop action.
- The company is raising capital under SEC Regulation D 506(c) for accredited investors, with early backers including Mike Brey, the winningest head coach in Notre Dame men’s basketball history, and Archie McEachern, Vice President of Basketball at PUMA.
From Taco Tuesday to Summer Validation
360 Hoops started with a problem every youth basketball parent recognizes: crowded practices where kids wait more than they play. Co-founders Shane Brey, a lifelong youth basketball coach, and Anthony Gomez, a telecom executive, watched their sons lose interest during sessions dominated by limited hoops, long lines and standing around.
“It went against everything I believed as a coach,” Brey explains in an exclusive interview with Youth Sports Business Report. “Basketball should keep kids moving, learning, and competing, not standing still.”
The breakthrough idea came on a Tuesday evening back in 2018. “Anthony challenged me to come up with a solution. A few days later, on Taco Tuesday, the lightbulb hit: I lined up three pieces of shredded cheese and three olives to visualize a triangular hoop system,” Brey recalls.
The concept moved from dinner table to prototypes, and that’s when the co-founders knew they had something scalable. “After an exhausting morning setting up one of the first versions of the 360 Hoop, we took a break and let our sons and their friends mess around on it,” Brey says. “Without any instructions, the kids instinctively created their own 3v3v3 ‘King of the Court’ format and they played nonstop, all day, until the sun went down. At that moment, we saw the magic: the game didn’t need to be explained… it just worked.”
The Facility Operator Math
For sports complexes and club directors evaluating new programming options, 360 Hoops presents a different value equation than traditional basketball. The system fits up to five units on a standard basketball court, each supporting 12 active athletes in a 3v3v3 format.
“For facility owners, operators, and club directors, it really comes down to one question: how much value can you generate per square foot?” Gomez explains. “Traditional basketball caps that value at around 10 active athletes per full court. By design, 360 Hoops supports up to 60 athletes on the same footprint.”
The format runs non-stop 14-minute games with up to three games per hour per hoop. “Multiple games, practice drills, or age groups can run simultaneously, all without needing more space,” Gomez adds. The company reports early pilots showing immediate increases in activity density and engagement, though specific facility performance data was not disclosed.
The portable hoops adjust from 4.5 feet to 10 feet and include breakaway rims. “Kids can build confidence and proper shooting fundamentals early, while breakaway rims unlock a level of fun that lets players of all ages dunk and feel like pros,” Gomez notes. “It’s been amazing to see.”
Validated Through Competition and Coaching Credibility
After years of development, prototyping, navigating a global pandemic, and piloting, 360 Hoops spent the summer of 2025 validating its format through tournaments and events along the East Coast. With sole capital to date raised from friends and family, a certain investor brings significant basketball credibility to the company: Mike Brey, brother of 360 Hoops inventor and Co-Founder Shane Brey. As the winningest coach in Notre Dame men’s basketball history and currently an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks, Brey has played a key role as both investor and advisor, helping ensure 360 Hoops delivers a high-impact experience for youth athletes.
“Having Mike (Brey) as an investor and advisor has been incredible,” says Gomez. “He believes his brother Shane’s invention doesn’t just elevate the game – it unlocks value for players, coaches, and the sport as a whole.”
360 Hoops emphasizes that its 3v3v3 format complements rather than competes with traditional basketball, with skills developed in this format translating directly to 5v5 play.
The adoption path has followed a predictable pattern, according to Gomez. “Of course, with any invention, there are skeptics, especially when you’re rethinking a beloved sport. But the moment people see 360 Hoops in action, the vision is undeniable.”
The company showcased its format widely in 2025. Early in the year, it filmed a nationally televised event at the prestigious DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, featured on ESPN’s The Ocho, celebrating the country’s most unique competitions. Since then, ESPN has re-aired 360 Hoops more than a dozen times, giving the game national visibility. Over years of prototyping, the format has also been featured at NBA FanFest, in a Dude Perfect video with Luka Dončić, and an amenity at the Boca Raton Resort in Florida, highlighting its mainstream commercialization potential.
In addition, 360 Hoops conducted three pilot events along the East Coast, each deploying 10+ units in a single gym – a first for the format – demonstrating scalability and player engagement. The company hosted inaugural 3v3v3 tournaments filmed for potential broadcast, and partnered with youth development programs, including Behn Camp (incorporated into 25 summer camps) and Terance Mann’s Complete Player Camp, which featured a dedicated 360 Hoops day.
These pilots and showcases provided tangible evidence of the format’s appeal, operational feasibility, and educational value, positioning 360 Hoops for expanded rollout in 2026. With these insights, the company is moving to expand its team, streamline operations, accelerate sales and partnerships, and lay the groundwork for broader adoption.
Building the Pickleball of Basketball
360 Hoops is gearing up for its commercial launch in 2026 with ambitious goals. Patrick Donnelly, SVP of Partnership & Brand, outlined the company’s roadmap in an exclusive YSBR interview.
“2026 marks our shift from a cool concept to a high-impact, scalable, and patented sports property,” Donnelly says. The company plans to enter 30 markets in Year 1, aiming to double that footprint in 2027 layering 360 Hoops units, 3v3v3 events, programming, and partnerships across sports complexes, schools, community centers, parks, and hospitality properties.
“Each market starts with a flagship sports complex and expands outward through school partnerships, fundraising programs, and community installments and activations, creating a full ecosystem that drives awareness, adoption, and excitement.”
Positioning itself as ‘the pickleball of basketball,’ 360 Hoops has a vision that goes beyond recreational play. “Our long-term goal is a complete sports pathway, from grassroots to pro, powered by our patented hardware and gameplay,” Donnelly says. The team is also developing a pro-grade 360 Hoop with retractable 72-inch glass backboards, laying the foundation for elite competition and a potential professional league.
“That truly is our north star…getting 360 Hoops into every gym, school, and blacktop in the world, delivering maximum engagement, access, and fun.”
The 360 Hoops Business Model: A New Sports Ecosystem
While the signature three-in-one hoop grabs attention, the business model behind 360 Hoops is what positions it as a long-term sports property rather than a one-off product. The company has built what it describes as a “multi-layered sports ecosystem” anchored by two proprietary assets: its patented three-basket hoop system and its patented circular 3v3v3 gameplay.
Those two innovations unlock a commercial model that extends well beyond equipment sales.
“We’re not just selling a hoop, we’re building an entirely new category and experience of sport,” Donnelly explains. The company will pair high-margin unit sales with six complementary revenue pathways: 3v3v3 tournaments and events, school programming and fundraisers, building towards sanctioned competition, licensing, brand partnerships, and future media and commercial rights tied to the format itself.
The strategy is designed to scale its presence market by market. Unit sales seed adoption inside gyms and communities, which drives participation and awareness. That participation fuels events and school programming. And as more players, coaches, and facilities adopt the circular format, the company gains the foundation for sanctioned leagues, content, and long-term rights opportunities.
All three components, the hoop, the gameplay, and the ecosystem around it, can operate independently or together. But when stacked, they form a vertically integrated, defensible, and fully owned sports experience.
Patent Protection and Category Ownership
The competitive defensibility comes from intellectual property and first-mover positioning, according to Keith Dery, Co-Founder and Head of Manufacturing and Logistics.
“360 Hoops is uniquely defensible because we fully own the category we’re creating,” Dery explains. “Our patented three-in-one hoop system and proprietary 3v3v3 gameplay format, where players can score on any basket, give us true competitive insulation. No one else can replicate the hardware or the circular game where you can score on any of three baskets.”
Beyond the patented innovation, Dery points to the system’s portability and adjustability as solving practical challenges for diverse venues. “Coupled with growing traction among leading coaches, complexes, investors, and partners, we’ve built an ecosystem that’s accelerating adoption from the ground up as we get this company off the ground here in 2026.”
Strategic Implications for Youth Sports Facilities
360 Hoops enters a youth sports market increasingly focused on participation, engagement, and maximizing the impact of available space. Its patented three-in-one hoop and 3v3v3 circular gameplay address a fundamental challenge in youth basketball programming: increasing active play time for every child while creating a dynamic, engaging experience.
The company’s 30-market expansion plan positions 360 Hoops for meaningful scale by the end of 2026. While commercial success will depend on adoption and sustained engagement, the format is designed to reach far beyond traditional sports facilities – including schools, parks and recreation programs, community centers, churches, resorts and hotels, and even military bases – anywhere organizations seek to maximize engagement and participation through sports.
The involvement of Mike Brey provides coaching credibility, and patent protection offers 360 Hoops time to establish its market presence before potential competitors emerge. For organizations exploring new programming, the value proposition extends beyond facility throughput to skill development, retention, and overall engagement. As 360 Hoops rolls out in 2026, early adoption trends and its potential to transform youth participation will come into focus.
What’s Next
As 360 Hoops prepares for its first national rollout in 2026, the focus will shift to scaling operations, expanding partnerships, and bringing the patented three-in-one hoop experience to more athletes across the country. With a footprint spanning sports complexes, schools, community centers, parks and rec programs, resorts, and military bases, 360 Hoops aims to maximize participation, engagement, and skill development for youth and recreational athletes everywhere.
Players, fans, coaches, and facilities can follow the action and latest updates across social media @play360hoops or signing up through play360hoops.com, while those interested in partnerships, investment, or business inquiries can connect directly with Patrick Donnelly to explore opportunities to join the next phase of this innovative sports movement.
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