DAYTON, Ohio — The University of Dayton (UD) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced Monday an agreement for the school to host state basketball tournaments until 2024.
The previous agreement allowed UD to be the host for the girls basketball semifinals and finals until 2023.
The new agreement places the boys and girls basketball championships in Dayton for the next three years.
UD Arena was the site of this year’s girls and boys state basketball championships in March. Prior to this year, the tournaments have been held at Ohio State University (OSU) since 1976, except in 1986 and 1987 when the events were held at UD Arena. It’s also been the site of 125 NCAA basketball tournaments.
While the 2021 tournaments were initially supposed to be held at OSU’s St. John Arena this year, COVID-19 protocols would have been hard to execute, which is why it was moved to UD Arena.
“We are very excited to host the state tournaments at UD Arena,” said Scott DeBolt, UD senior associate athletics director. “In addition to our love of the Dayton Flyers, we are so proud to host many great events here, including the NCAA First Four, and we are pleased and grateful to welcome the OHSAA girls and boys basketball state tournaments to UD Arena. Our community will support the state tournaments just like our other events and this will be a special place for the teams, schools and communities that reach the state tournaments.”
🏀🚨#OHSAA BASKETBALL: The girls and boys basketball state tournaments will be hosted at University of Dayton Arena in 2022, 2023 and 2024! Thank you @UDArena and @DaytonFlyers for your partnership! FULL RELEASE: https://t.co/4AvNXBcBW7 pic.twitter.com/fmELqQ48KN
— OHSAASports (@OHSAASports) May 3, 2021
