HutchCC, Sports Arena will continue as hosts for 3A state basketball

Haven High School students cheer on the Wildcat girls basketball team during a Kansas Class 3A state tournament first-round game against Silver Lake March 7 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Haven lost to the eventual state champions from Silver Lake. The Hutchinson Sports Arena will be the host site for the 3A state tournament in 2025. CREDIT JOHN MESH

Hutchinson Community College and the Hutchinson Sports Arena will continue as the hosts for the Kansas Class 3A boys and girls state tournaments.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association announced the hosts and sites for the 2025 state tournaments on Thursday.

Other hosts and sites for the state tournaments are Class 6A, Wichita State University’s Koch Arena; Class 5A, Emporia Parks and Recreation, White Auditorium; Class 4A, Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Salina; Class 2A, Visit Manhattan, Bramlage Coliseum, Kansas State University; Class 1A Division I, Dodge City High School, Dodge City Sports Commission, United Wireless Arena; and Class 1A Division II, Colby Event Center.

The Colby Event Center, which hosted the Class 1A Division I state championships last year, will host Class 1A Division I in 2025.

Colby will be the fourth community to host the 1A Division II state championships since the class split into divisions in 2011. In 2019, Class 1A held a single tournament without divisions.

“The student-athletes, coaches, school communities and officials who participated in the 1A Division I tournament in Colby last year had a great experience,” KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said in a KSHSAA press release.

“Colby was given a chance last year and hosted great championship tournaments. We know they will do the same in 2025. With two new hotels coming online before the 2025 tournaments, the experience for teams, families, fans and officials will be even better.”

Barton Community College could not commit to hosting the Class 1A Division I state tournament for a fourth straight year because of potential events on its campus the week of the state basketball tournaments.

“Trevor Rolfs (BartonCC athletic director) and his team of Heather Panning, Todd Moore, Brooke Thompson, Brandon Smith, Kelsey Feist, Megan Besecker and more did a tremendous job hosting for us the past three years and we thank them for the outstanding job they did,” KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Kyle Doperalski said.

“We appreciate their team and also understand the need for them to pass on a hosting opportunity in 2025.”

The Class 2A state tournament will return to its traditional home at Bramlage Coliseum after one year’s hiatus.