INDIANAPOLIS (March 2, 2026) – Intersport, producers of the State Farm® College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, announced details for the 2026 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition, a social media fan voting competition featuring 16 of the nation's top under-the-radar players from all levels of college basketball. This four-week competition will culminate with the winner having the chance to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest on April 3 in Indianapolis.
Fans will determine the winner by voting on the event's X(@CollegeSlam) and Instagram (@College_Slam) channels in a bracket-style competition. The X voting window for each round will run for the duration of each round and the Instagram voting window for each round will run for the final 24 hours each week. First-round voting begins today at Noon CT and runs through Friday at Noon CT.
The schedule for each voting round will go as follows:
• Round One: March 2 at Noon CT – March 6 at Noon CT (16 Players)
• Quarterfinals: March 9 at Noon CT – March 13 at Noon CT (8 Players)
• Semifinals: March 16 at Noon CT – March 20 at Noon CT (4 Players)
• Finals: March 23 at Noon CT – March 27 at Noon CT (2 Players)
The player that ultimately receives the most votes in the final round will be selected to compete in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, an event featuring some of the best college dunkers and 3-point shooters in the country. The 2026 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will take place on April 3 at 7 p.m. ET, and will air on ESPN on April 5 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The following are the 16 Dark Horse Dunkers competing in the contest for their chance to showcase their talents in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships:
Thomas Hailey, University of Charleston
Anthony Harris, University of Cumberlands
Jalen Hines, Chowan
CJ Fisher, Hope International- California
Myles Johnson, Black Hills State
Jair Knight, Emory
Quinton McCullough, Hawaii Pacific
Tye-Rell Monroe, Saint Elizabeth University
Sam Phipps, University of Texas – Tyler
Gavin Sarvis, Loras
Neal Terry, Belhaven
Jeremy Thomas II, Clarion
Shad Thomas, Azusa Pacific
Alvin Tumblin Jr., Palm Beach Atlantic University
JaMaal Unuakhlu, Menlo
Payden White, Cal State East Bay
Three players who won the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition have gone on to win the Slam Dunk Championship, including Marcus Lewis (Eastern Kentucky) in 2014, James Justice (Martin Methodist College) in 2012 and Jacob Tucker (Illinois College) in 2011.
For more information about the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, like us on Facebook and follow us on X(@CollegeSLAM) and Instagram (@College_Slam). Official rules for the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition can be found HERE.
