Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A change to the Washington state high school basketball tournaments will allow four more teams to make it to Spokane Arena.
Since 2011, eight teams have advanced to each of Washington’s three-day championship sites. The new format will increase the entry to 12 with some teams getting a first-round bye and others facing a loser-out opening round game.
The new tournament format, which takes effect in March, will add one day to the state 1B/2B event in Spokane with a first day on Wednesday.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) executive board annouced the change Sept. 26.
“It's just a step to get a few more kids in the big house,” said Ken Lindgren, Oakesdale athletic director and WIAA board member for District 9.
The format preserves the regional round, while lessening its do-or-die aspect. The regional round of 16 teams has matched up top qualifiers from each WIAA district with lower-ranked qualifiers. Usually teams with lower district playoff finishers were required to travel to the home of the top district teams.
In the new format, top teams in the regionals will play for seedings at state. Lower-rated teams will still face an elimination game to get to the championships.
With the expansion to 12 teams going to state, about 500 more students will experience competing at the final sites.
The WIAA's decision follows a year-long process seeking input on the state format. Put forth for consideration were three different options: leave it as is, develop a system that involved more teams in post-season playoffs with only four advancing to Spokane Arena for a multi-classification event and the 12-team option.
This March, with the new format, the action will begin in earnest on Wednesday of state week with eight teams playing single-elimination games.
“Eight teams will travel to Spokane, four will go home,” Lindgren said. “It's win or you're done.”
The added games will bring new expenses for the WIAA.
“It will change the cost,” Lindgren said. “And that was a concern that will be evaluated.”
Could ticket prices increase?
“We discussed that,” Lindgren said. “There is a financial piece that we discussed; how often do you raise ticket prices, student fees, membership fees?”
Last year ticket prices at state 1B/2B in Spokane increased $1 for adults. This year, student tickets will go up $1.
Lindgren said the cost of renting Spokane Arena each year was one of the main expenses to go up in recent years.
The eight-team state format began in 2011, following a 16-team format from 1989-2010 and a 12-team format from 1976-88.
Along with the format change, the WIAA will install a Rating Percentage Index (RPI) system to seed the 16 teams which qualify for the regional round.
The WIAA's State Basketball Format Committee will continue to refine the details of the RPI system, to be used only as a seeding tool once qualifiers are in place.
The new state tournament will be a noted change for some teams.
For example, a 2015 Whitman County scenario would have likely been different.
The Garfield/Palouse boys, after a strong regular season, won the District 9 championship, advanced to the regional round and lost to Cusick. Gar/Pal's season ended, and Cusick advanced to the double-elimination bracket at Spokane Arena.
Under the new format, Gar/Pal would likely have had a high RPI, which would put them in one of the four regional-round games to decide only seeding for the Arena.
In the Gar/Pal-Cusick scenario under the new format, Cusick's win would get them a bye to day two at state. The Vikings would have advanced to a Spokane do-or-die opening round game.
Final tournament sites will remain for all classifications with 1B and 2B at Spokane, 1A and 2A at the Yakima's SunDome and 3A and 4A at the Tacoma Dome.
“I think what it's gonna be, it's gonna be exciting,” Lindgren said. “I think it'll be a good deal.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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