Central Regional now longer to be played in Birmingham:
Courtesy of the Alabama High School Athletic Association:
MONTGOMERY – The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Central Regional Basketball tournament is heading back to Montgomery and Alabama State University.
An agreement has been signed with Alabama State University that will bring Central and South Regional boys’ and girls’ tournament to the Capitol City for the next three years (2025, 2026 and 2027).
The Central Regional will be played at Alabama State University’s 7,400-seat Dunn-Oliver Acadome, and the South Regional will be played at Garrett Coliseum, announced AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs.
“This is great news, especially for our schools qualifying for the regional from Southwest Alabama,” Briggs said. “No longer will those schools have to drive past Montgomery, thus reducing travel and increasing the opportunity for more fans from those schools to attend. We are very appreciative of ASU and the City of Montgomery for stepping forward for our member schools.”
ASU was a very popular host site for a regional for many years since the beginning of the format which was instituted in 1994. However, when the Covid pandemic spread across the state, ASU elected not to host a tourney. For the last two years, the Central Regional, which included a number of schools qualifying from Southwest Alabama, was played at the Birmingham CrossPlex Bill Harris Arena and the South Regional remained in Montgomery.
“We are excited to host the Regional AHSAA tournament on our campus. This a great opportunity to expose the local and state community to our institution,” said Alabama State University Athletic Director Dr. Jason Cable. “I would like to thank Alvin Briggs for this opportunity and Crystal Moss and the OEM team for taking the lead on this project.”
Brandon Dean, former director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association (AHSADCA) who is now Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Montgomery, said, “Bringing the Basketball Regionals back to Alabama State University and the City of Montgomery has been a goal of Alvin Briggs during his tenure. It was a pleasure to work with Mr. Briggs and ASU Athletic Director Dr. Jason Cable. This means at least 52 different fan bases and communities will be returning to the City of Montgomery and the campus of Alabama State University each year of the agreement.”
The Northeast and Northwest Regional basketball tournaments are played at Jacksonville State University and Wallace-Hanceville Community College, respectively. Both sites have been hosts for 30 years – since the Regional Tourney format was introduced by the AHSAA in 1994.
The South and Central Regionals, while being in Montgomery most of that time, have also been played at various other sites from time to time including Bay Minette, Mobile, Troy and Dothan. The State Tournament semifinals and finals have been played at the BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham since 1994 – minus one year when the BJCC was undergoing renovations. It was played at UAB Bartow Arena and Bill Harris Arena that year.
GDW Analysis:
With the Central Regional removed from Bill Harris Arena, it means one thing for a local program.
Cold Springs Lady Eagles, who have won the last two Class 2A titles in the Central Regional, will be coming back to Wallace State for the Northwest Regional if they qualify in the 2024/25 postseason.
This is what GDW knows of where the schools could be playing if they qualify for the regional round next year:
At Wallace State Tom Drake Coliseum:
Cullman Christian, St. Bernard in 1A
Cold Springs in 2A
Good Hope in 4A
West Point in 5A
Cullman in 6A
At Jacksonville State University Pete Mathews Coliseum
Hanceville, Holly Pond, Vinemont in 3A
Fairview in 5A.
Photo of the Acadome at Alabama State University.
Photo courtesy of the AHSAA.
