Four of Montana's eight high school basketball state tournaments are on the move.
The Montana High School Association executive board announced Friday that the Class C boys and girls basketball state tournaments are moving to Lockwood High School and the Class A boys and girls state tournaments are moving to Great Falls.
The State C tournaments were originally awarded to Montana State University in Bozeman, but MSU informed the MHSA executive board it cannot host the tournaments this year because of COVID-19 concerns.
With the State C tournaments moving to Lockwood, Yellowstone County will now host both the State C and State B tournaments the same weekend. The Class B boys and girls basketball state tournaments are March 10-13 at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark.
"With more than 50 hotels and motels, nearly 4,500 sleeping rooms, hundreds of restaurants and retailers, and numerous attractions, Yellowstone County has the capacity to safely accommodate fans and competitors for both tournaments on the MetraPark Campus and at Lockwood Schools," Alex Tyson, executive director of Visit Billings, wrote in a letter to the MHSA.
The State A tournaments were originally scheduled to be played at the Butte Civic Center. But the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department would only allow two tickets per spectator, so Class A officials explored other options. They ultimately voted 18-2 to hold the tournaments a week earlier in Great Falls, and the State A tournaments will now be played March 3-6 at Four Seasons Arena.
The Class AA state basketball tournaments will be at Great Falls March 10-13.
