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The WIAA State Basketball Tournament was created in 1923. Over the years, the tournament structure has ranged from 8-team to 26-team elimination-style formats. Currently, the tournament features a 16-team regional format which leads to a final-12 team tournament that was implemented in 2016 to address declining attendance and meet the following WIAA Executive Board objectives:
- Create a more intriguing State Tournament by combining certain classifications at the same site
- Reduce overlap of winter and spring sports
- Reduce fatigue of players who play the entire tournament
- Reduce expenses for member schools, spectators and the Association
- Stabilize and increase the revenue of the WIAA
The State Basketball format Committee’s objective, as directed by the Executive Board, is to explore alternative State Basketball Tournament formats that support the original Board objectives and also give consideration for the following:
- Examine and propose any basketball tournament improvement to player, student, coach and fan experience for each classification
- Examine and propose best basketball tournament for each classification
- Proposed recommended changes, if any, will be made to the Executive Board for final evaluation
The Committee met on November 5, 2019 to review the current State Basketball Tournament format and brainstorm alternatives.
Below you will find a link to detailed information about each of the three formats including a summary of the format, financial considerations, and key considerations by classification. The Committee is soliciting feedback regarding the various format options by way of this survey which is available through May 20, 2020.
The following State Basketball Tournament format options are presented in no particular order in regards to preference or recommendation:
- Super Regional Option 1
- Super Regional Option 2
- Rounds 1 & 2 in Yakima Option: 1B, 2B, 1A | 2A, 3A, 4A
Additional Resources
The WIAA Executive Board continuously strives to create a tournament format that is a great experience for student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans. Besides creating a great atmosphere, this tournament format must be financially sustainable and feasible in regards to facility availability.
TAKE THE SURVEY IN THE WIAA LIVE APP |