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Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament moving out of Wells Fargo Arena

Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament moving out of Wells Fargo Arena
WEATHER NOTIFICATIONS. WELL, THE BOYS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IS MOVING TO AMES. THE IOWA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION’S NEXT YEAR’S TOURNAMENT WILL BE ITS LAST AT WELLS FARGO ARENA AND vlog. BEAU BOWMAN SPOKE WITH ISU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JAMIE POLLARD ONE ON ONE, ABOUT THE NEW DEAL TO BRING THE TOURNAMENT TO HILTON COLISEUM. DES MOINES HAS PLAYED HOST TO THE BOYS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SINCE 1963, BUT IN 2027, THE NEW HOME FOR THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE RIGHT HERE IN HILTON COLISEUM. IT’S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY, IOWA STATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JAMIE POLLARD SAYS THE FIVE YEAR DEAL HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR MONTHS, AND HE GOT IN ON THE CONVERSATION WITH THE IHSAA IN JANUARY. THE MOVE WILL TIME OUT PERFECTLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SITES. THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT’S NEW ENTERTAINMENT HUB, SCHEDULED TO OPEN THE SAME YEAR. SCHOOLS CLOSED. THEY COME DOWN ON THE BUSSES FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THEY’RE GOING TO BE IN THIS WONDERFUL NEW ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE CALLED CHI TOWN BEFORE THEY GO IN AND WATCH THEIR TEAMS PLAY. POLLARD’S HOPE IS THE MOVE GIVES HIGH SCHOOLERS IN THE STATE THE OPPORTUNITY. MOST OF THEM NEVER GET THE CHANCE TO PLAY IN AN ELITE COLLEGIATE VENUE. WHEN THAT POPPED THROUGH THIS MORNING, IT WAS A BIT OF A SURPRISE. MATT EICHHORN IS THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR AT NORTH POLK HIGH SCHOOL. HE’S EXCITED FOR AMES TO HOST THE TOURNAMENT, HOPING SOME OF IOWA STATE’S HILTON MAGIC TRICKLES DOWN TO THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. JUST LIKE THEY SAID, THE HILTON MAGIC, RIGHT? AND I’M SURE A LOT OF THESE KIDS HAVE SEEN GAMES THERE, AND THEN THEY GET A CHANCE TO GO IN AND PLAY ON THAT FLOOR. AND DEFINITELY A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF THEM. THE BOYS TOURNAMENT ALWAYS FALLS ON THE WEEK WHEN THE CYCLONE MEN ARE PLAYING IN THE BIG 12 TOURNAMENT IN KANSAS CITY, AND WHEN THE WOMEN ARE OFF A GLASS SLIPPER FITTING TO HOPEFULLY HOST PLENTY OF CINDERELLA STORIES. SO AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION TO BE ABLE TO USE IT TO CREATE NEW ENERGY FOR THE BOYS TOURNAMENT. WELLS FARGO ARENA WILL HAVE ONE MORE YEAR PLAYING HOST TO THE BOYS STATE TOURNAMENT. BEFORE THEY MAKE THAT MOVE UP HERE TO AMES I
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Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament moving out of Wells Fargo Arena
The Iowa boys basketball state tournament will soon have a new home.Iowa State University and the Iowa High School Athletic Association announced on Tuesday that the tournament will be played at Hilton Coliseum starting in 2027.It's a massive change for the tournament, which has been played in Des Moines since 1963.“We couldn’t be more excited about what this opportunity will offer our student-athletes, schools, and supporters as they experience an elite basketball environment at Hilton and an awesome new tournament community in CyTown and Ames,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said in a news release. “Our sincere appreciation goes to everyone who has helped make this possible at Iowa State University, Discover Ames and Cyclone Athletics.”The tournament has been played at Wells Fargo Arena since 2006 and, before that, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium."The folks at Wells Fargo have been terrific," Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Tom Keating said. "But Hilton is really a basketball facility... One of the things we're hoping is that kids get a little better sense of the fans right there and the intimacy of the, of the arena. The other is, they get to they watch Iowa State on TV, they watch players play in the Hilton. They think about, wow, what would it be like to play in that facility. And now we're going to give them the opportunity to do that." The state's partnership with ISU initially is for five years, 2027-2031, with the tournament remaining five days long."It's just a great opportunity for everybody," said Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.Pollard says the move will time out perfectly with the development of Cy-Town — the athletic department's new entertainment hub scheduled to open the same year."Schools close, they come down on the busses from their communities, and they're going to be in this wonderful new environment that we have called Cy-Town before they go in and watch their teams play," he said. Matt Eichhorn, the Activities Director at North Polk High School, says he's excited for Ames to host the tournament-- hoping some of Iowa State's Hilton Magic trickles down to high school."Just like I said, the Hilton Magic, right, and I'm sure a lot of these kids have seen games there, and then they get a chance to go in and play on that floor. Definitely a special experience for all of them," Eichhorn said.Watch: Impact of boys state basketball tournament moving to Hilton ColiseumFor the city of Des Moines, the move could also be an opportunity. Greg Edwards with Catch Des Moines said, in recent years, the tournament's economic impact is still significant but has dwindled. It currently brings Des Moines a boost of around $750,000. Comparatively, the city's largest high school state tournament, Boy's State Wrestling, has around a $1.5 million economic impact. Edwards says Catch Des Moines will explore alternative events to replace the tournament."We've had inquiries about hosting other major athletic events and other events that would use Wells Fargo. So we'll open up some doors maybe to pursue some of that stuff," Edwards said. "The boys tournament will still be here again next year, so we've got some time to hopefully fill that space with something big and exciting as well."Hilton, which opened in 1971, has a capacity of 14,267. Recent upgrades include a new state-of-the-art video board, LED ribbon boards and an audio system, as well as renovated locker rooms. The tournament will return to Ames after a century-long absence. Iowa State College, as it was known then, hosted from 1917-1926. Iowa State, IHSAA announce boys state basketball tournament move to HiltonBoys state basketball tournament plannerHere are the dates of the first five Iowa boys basketball state tournaments at Hilton Coliseum.2027: March 8-122028: March 6-102029: March 5-92030: March 4-82031: March 10-14

The Iowa boys basketball state tournament will soon have a new home.

Iowa State University and the Iowa High School Athletic Association announced on Tuesday that the tournament will be played at Hilton Coliseum starting in 2027.

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It's a massive change for the tournament, which has been played in Des Moines since 1963.

“We couldn’t be more excited about what this opportunity will offer our student-athletes, schools, and supporters as they experience an elite basketball environment at Hilton and an awesome new tournament community in CyTown and Ames,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said in a news release. “Our sincere appreciation goes to everyone who has helped make this possible at Iowa State University, Discover Ames and Cyclone Athletics.”

The tournament has been played at Wells Fargo Arena since 2006 and, before that, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

"The folks at Wells Fargo have been terrific," Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Tom Keating said. "But Hilton is really a basketball facility... One of the things we're hoping is that kids get a little better sense of the fans right there and the intimacy of the, of the arena. The other is, they get to they watch Iowa State on TV, they watch players play in the Hilton. They think about, wow, what would it be like to play in that facility. And now we're going to give them the opportunity to do that."

The state's partnership with ISU initially is for five years, 2027-2031, with the tournament remaining five days long.

"It's just a great opportunity for everybody," said Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.

Pollard says the move will time out perfectly with the development of Cy-Town — the athletic department's new entertainment hub scheduled to open the same year.

"Schools close, they come down on the busses from their communities, and they're going to be in this wonderful new environment that we have called Cy-Town before they go in and watch their teams play," he said.

Matt Eichhorn, the Activities Director at North Polk High School, says he's excited for Ames to host the tournament-- hoping some of Iowa State's Hilton Magic trickles down to high school.

"Just like I said, the Hilton Magic, right, and I'm sure a lot of these kids have seen games there, and then they get a chance to go in and play on that floor. Definitely a special experience for all of them," Eichhorn said.

Watch: Impact of boys state basketball tournament moving to Hilton Coliseum

For the city of Des Moines, the move could also be an opportunity.

Greg Edwards with Catch Des Moines said, in recent years, the tournament's economic impact is still significant but has dwindled. It currently brings Des Moines a boost of around $750,000. Comparatively, the city's largest high school state tournament, Boy's State Wrestling, has around a $1.5 million economic impact.

Edwards says Catch Des Moines will explore alternative events to replace the tournament.

"We've had inquiries about hosting other major athletic events and other events that would use Wells Fargo. So we'll open up some doors maybe to pursue some of that stuff," Edwards said. "The boys tournament will still be here again next year, so we've got some time to hopefully fill that space with something big and exciting as well."

Hilton, which opened in 1971, has a capacity of 14,267. Recent upgrades include a new state-of-the-art video board, LED ribbon boards and an audio system, as well as renovated locker rooms.

The tournament will return to Ames after a century-long absence. Iowa State College, as it was known then, hosted from 1917-1926.

Iowa State, IHSAA announce boys state basketball tournament move to Hilton

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Boys state basketball tournament planner

Here are the dates of the first five Iowa boys basketball state tournaments at Hilton Coliseum.

  • 2027: March 8-12
  • 2028: March 6-10
  • 2029: March 5-9
  • 2030: March 4-8
  • 2031: March 10-14