HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – The Kansas State High School Activities Association announced on Thursday the sites for the 2026 state basketball tournaments.
The Hutchinson Sports Arena has been the home for the Class 3A state tournament for 51 years and will continue to be that home in 2026 and 2027. But KSHSAA has consolidated tournament sites from seven to four. In addition to the Class 3A state tournament in Hutchinson in 2026, Class 4A will also be contested at the Sports Arena in the upcoming school year..
KSHSAA has changed the formats for the Kansas State High School Basketball Tournaments as only the semifinals, consolation games and championship games will be held at the four final sites.
In 2026, United Wireless Arena in Dodge City will play host to Class 1A Division II. White Auditorium in Emporia will have Class 2A and Class 1A Division I. The Sports Arena will have Classes 3A and 4A and Koch Arena in Wichita will play host to Classes 5A and 6A.
Then in 2027, the Sports Arena will have Class 3A only, while The Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina will have Class 1A Division I and Division II, Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan will play host to Classes 2A and 4A and White Auditorium will be the site for Classes 5A and 6A.
The dates of the Class 3A and 4A state basketball semifinals and championship games will be March 12-14, 2026 and March 11-13, 2027.
Since 1953, each class of the Kansas State High School Basketball Tournament has been played at different sites with each tournament opening with the quarterfinal round.
This coming season the quarterfinals will be contested at United Wireless Arena, Koch Arena and Garvey Gym in Wichita, Tony’s Pizza Events Center and Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, White Auditorium in Emporia and the KCCCC Fieldhouse in Kansas City, KS.
Quarterfinals in Class 6A, 4A and 2A girls, along with Class 5A, 3A and 1A boys will be March 10. March 11 will be the Class 5A, 3A and 1A girls with the Class 6A, 4A and 2A boys.
The Hutchinson Sports Arena, hosted by Hutchinson Community College, has been the home site of the Class 3A State Basketball Tournament since 1975.
Also in the 2025-26 athletic/academic season, Hutchinson Community College will be the host site for the 2025 Class 3A and Class 4A State Volleyball Tournament on October 31 and November 1 and the Class 3A, 2A and 1A state football championship games at Gowans Stadium on November 28 and November 29.
