After reviewing the 2013 KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16®, the Board of Control voted today in favor of a proposal to move the championship games of the boys’ and girls’ Sweet 16® to Sunday starting in 2014. The format change allows for the semifinals to be conducted as a standalone event on Saturday, and gives the participants more time to prepare and recuperate leading up to the championship game.
“We examined the format of our basketball tournaments from a number of different perspectives, and in the end, felt like it was time to move the championship game to Sunday. Separating the championship game from the semifinals, really makes an event out of the Saturday games for those final four teams,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “We think the added rest leading up to the championship game will not only benefit the health and safety of the students, it will also have an impact on the quality of play, and provide coaches a chance to better prepare their teams for the most important game of the year.”
The new format was applied for the first time at the 2013 KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® because of a scheduling issue with the University of Kentucky playing Florida at Rupp Arena on the same day as the KHSAA semifinals. A record crowd of 20,172 turned out to watch the Boys’ Sweet 16® Semifinals on Saturday night between Madison Central-Hopkinsville and Ballard-Montgomery County, with 17,351 fans returning for the first-ever championship game on a Sunday – the largest crowd for a title game since 2009.
In other action taken during Monday’s meeting:
●The Board of Control approved a measure to move the championship match of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament to Sunday. Prior to the format change, volleyball was the only KHSAA sport required to play three complete rounds of play in the winner’s bracket on the same day during the state tournament. Starting in 2013, the first round will be played on Friday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday. The championship match will be played on Sunday, allowing for additional rest for the participants, likely resulting in improved quality of play for all teams involved.
●The Board of Control confirmed President-Elect Bill Beasley (KDE Appointed Member, Henderson/Paducah) as Board President for 2013-14, and voted Carrell Boyd (Superintendent Caldwell County schools) as its President-Elect for the upcoming year.
●The Board of Control approved a motion for changes to the date and location for the KHSAA Competitive Cheer Championships. Beginning with the 2013-14 academic year, the Competitive Cheer Championships will be held the second week of December and relocated to Alltech Arena in Lexington.
