Hoops tournament change announced

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s decision to split the girls and boys basketball state semifinals and finals didn’t seem to go over well but after just one year of the different format, a change is coming in time for the next tournament.

According to a press release issued by the OHSAA early Wednesday afternoon, next March, the Ohio High School Athletic Association girls and boys basketball state tournaments will return to the traditional format of the Final Four, with all state semifinalists in seven different divisions converging in the same area in one weekend for the state tournament. However, it won’t be all at one venue.

This past season, state semifinal games were played at various sites around Ohio. Many of the girls’ state semifinal games were played in high school gymnasiums.

Several state semifinal games and the seven state championship games themselves will continue to be played at the University of Dayton Arena. However, UD Arena cannot host all 21 games of the state tournament with the new seven division format in basketball.

Accordingly, additional sites in the Dayton area will be announced as host sites for some state semifinal games. The OHSAA Board of Directors approved the change at its April meeting.

“We looked at several options on how to conduct this year’s state tournament with seven divisions, because UD Arena is not available to host all 21 games,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. “We settled on the football model, with the state semifinals held on the weekend prior to the state finals. The feedback we received from the coaches at this year’s state tournament led us to make this proposal to the board to go back to the traditional final four model, which will require additional sites. There are some great options in that area and we are already working on those details.”

Sources say one of those options will likely be the Ervin J. Nutter Center at Wright State University, a 15 minute drive from UD Arena.

Last fall, the girls volleyball state tournament, which also had 21 contests, utilized three additional sites to supplement Wright State University. This coming June, the baseball state tournament will use one additional site. Firestone Stadium in Akron is available that week to host the 21 games of the softball state tournament.

Last fall, soccer expanded to five divisions for girls and boys, with the state semifinals taking place mid-week and the winners advancing to Historic Crew Stadium for 10 championship games over four days.

The specific state tournament schedule and additional sites will be announced at a later date.