University of Dayton to host OHSAA State Basketball Tournaments

By Mitch Spinell

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Tuesday that the 2020-21 boys' and girls' Ohio state basketball tournaments will be held at the University of Dayton's UD Arena.

The girls' state tournament will be played from Thursday, March 11 to Saturday, March 13, while the boys' tournament will take place Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21.

Semifinal game times for both tournaments will be at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., and 8 p.m., while championship final times will be 10:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.

“We are so excited that the University of Dayton has such a strong desire to host our basketball state tournaments and for all they did to receive a variance to allow more fans to attend,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. “We thank the health department officials for their cooperation as we worked through this request and we are committed to following the safety protocols they have in place. Our schools have gone through so much since last March and we are thrilled that the season will culminate with the state tournaments at such a great venue as UD Arena.”

The OHSAA did not disclose if or how many fans will be allowed to attend the games but did say that information would be announced at a later date.

Dayton was set to host the girls' tournament starting this year through 2023, according to an announcement by the OHSAA last year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put the site of the 2020-21 tournament in question due to spectator limitations and associated tournament costs.

The boys' tournament, originally set to be played at St. John Arena at The Ohio State University, was moved after the aforementioned venue was not available due to the pandemic.