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Humphrey/LHF rushes on to the floor after defeating Grand Island CC in the Class C-2 boys championship March 11 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Welcome to Episode 31 of the Prep Extra Podcast presented by The Lincoln Journal Star.

The 2021-22 high school sports season may have just finished around the state, but there’s already plenty to consider about next year’s sporting calendar.

Not only will Class A schools debut a shot clock next year, but the new four-day state tournament format will be a change that impacts towns and communities across the state. The NSAA board of directors voted at its May meeting to switch from a three-day tournament to a four-day tournament for both boys and girls basketball, meaning that only third-place games will occur at Lincoln Public Schools sites.

Other than that, every single state tournament game will be played at the Devaney Center or at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

That sounds pretty good to Humphrey/LHF boys basketball coach Joe Hesse, whose Bulldogs have bounced around Lincoln during their recent state tournament runs. Last year’s Bulldog team won a C-2 state title playing its opening-round game at Lincoln Northeast, semifinal game at the Devaney Center and championship game at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

That level of change in one week is now no longer a consideration.

“It seems like every coach I talk to is overwhelmingly in favor of this,” Hesse said. “I think it’s a good decision to get them in the big gyms that they dream of playing in.”

For Hesse, moving the state tournament games out of LPS sites brings up memories of the 2020 football state title games that were played at home sites. With Memorial Stadium unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions, Omaha Westside, Elkhorn, Pierce and BDS won state titles in front of their home fans.

That was certainly an unforgettable experience for the players and communities alike, but so is the commonly held dream of playing for a state title on the biggest stage.

“What’s more important — playing in a big-game atmosphere or playing in a big-game arena? If you ask the kids, they’d rather play in the arena even if the atmosphere isn’t as good,” Hesse said.

Moving games out of the LPS sites has also received positive reception from high school basketball fans. Previously, some of the opening-round games at LPS sites drew near-capacity crowds so that fans had to wait in hallways in order for a game to be finished and for the gym to be cleared. That won’t be the case with multiple-game sessions at Devaney or PBA, with another added benefit of parking and concessions that high school sites are unable to compete with.

The final piece of the puzzle is an important one, though — travel. Students are already missing several days of school to attend the state tournament if their team makes it past the opening round, and the addition of an extra day to the tournament could logistics more challenging for schools that have to stay in Lincoln rather than travel home between games.

Scottsbluff is a state tournament regular in Class B, and the Bearcats are used to long days of travel for their postseason journeys. Typically, Scottsbluff will leave the day before the tournament begins and stop for practice along the way to Lincoln, while also staying the night when they are eliminated before returning home the next day.

According to Scottsbluff athletic director Dave Hoxworth, adding in another day to the state tournament won’t affect the school’s travel costs too much, especially considering that Class B won’t always play their first-round games on Wednesday. With the rotation of class schedules, many years will be a three-day tournament as in past years.

“My coaches were really in favor of getting into the bigger venues,” Hoxworth said. “Our first choice was the three-day format because of school time and the extra day off, but we’re so used to it that the extra day is not a big deal.”

There’s still a long way to go until the new state basketball tournament will officially get its debut in March, but the new changes to the format have fans and communities excited for what lies ahead.

“I think most of the fans I’ve talked to can’t believe that this is happening; It’s awesome for most of them,” Hesse said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7437 or at LMullin@journalstar.com. On Twitter @lmullin7

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Humphrey/LHF rushes on to the floor after defeating Grand Island CC in the Class C-2 boys championship March 11 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

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