IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig announced Monday that this year’s IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals will be played on Saturday, April 3, one week later than the previously scheduled date.
The four state championship games that will conclude the 111th boys state tournament, had been planned for March 27 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This date change is necessary in order to provide flexibility for scheduling the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. In the interest of cooperating with our partners and friends with the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, and the Fieldhouse, the IHSAA agreed to vacate the March 27 date.
After a lengthy discussion considering options, the IHSAA Executive Committee approved the change to April 3.
“Our Executive Committee felt it was most important to preserve the experience for our young people of playing for a state championship in Bankers Life Fieldhouse,” Commissioner Paul Neidig said of the decision. “In a year that has seen plenty of disruption, we also felt this arrangement would cause the least amount of disruption and impact the fewest number of schools. The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever have been tremendous partners of the IHSAA and we felt it appropriate to work with them to help find a solution.”
“This is an extraordinary situation, of course, and we are grateful to Commissioner Neidig and our friends at the IHSAA for their support of the city and state in working through the details of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament,” said Rick Fuson, President & COO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “The IHSAA has always been an amazing partner and their understanding and flexibility throughout this process is a testament to their support of our community. We look
forward to the IHSAA boys basketball tournament every year and this will be an amazing day of basketball in Indianapolis on April 3rd.”
The dates and locations of the earlier rounds of the state tournament remain unchanged with sectionals scheduled for March 2-6; regionals on March 13, and semi-state games on March 20.
This will be just the second time ever and first time since 1978 that the boys state finals will be contested in the month of April. That year, winter weather and an energy crunch caused by a coal miners’ strike forced a delay of the state tournament following the sectional championship round. Regional games resumed three weeks later than originally scheduled on April 1 with semi-states on April 8 and the state finals on April 15 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
Muncie Central would go on to win its sixth state championship defeating Terre Haute South in overtime, 65-64.