The MSHSL today (December 6) adopted changes to the scheduling and location of the state high school basketball tournament. The changes were necessitated by conflicts at the various possible locations, specifically the booking of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff at the Target Center late in March, when the boys tournament has taken place in recent years.
Other conflicts prevent Williams Arena from picking up the slack.
But Target and Williams will both continue to host games in both tournaments.
First, the boys and girls will flip-flop in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The boys will go 1st, then the girls. The girls will be up 1st again in 2017 and 2018.
Second, the boys tournament (by going 1st for 3 years) may not need any further adjustments.
Third, the girls may have to open at Target Center on Tuesday, the only day the Target is available to the high schools the last week of March. The tournament will conclude, then, at Williams and Mariucci Arenas at the U of M.
The MSHSL had discussed some more radical changes, like 1st round games at Greater Minnesota locations and a Final Four in the Metro area. The boys coaches association strongly opposed that. All in all, the changes are fairly minor. Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins girls coach, said the MSHSL had done the best that they could from a very tough position.
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