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Summary
Indiana's girls' state series. Four classes, single-elimination through Sectionals, Regionals, and Semi-States to State Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Runs about a week ahead of the boys' bracket each season.
What makes this tournament distinct
Final at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — same NBA-floor experience as the boys' state finals. Indiana's class-based system means smaller schools have a real shot at hardware.
Who it fits
Best for: Indiana member schools. The Gainbridge floor is one of the most recognizable high school championship venues in the Midwest.
Tradeoffs: Closed state series. Smaller-class finals draw smaller crowds in a 17,000-seat NBA arena.
Indiana's state championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Class finals (1A-4A) played across one weekend in late March. The Indiana state finals have run continuously since 1911 — one of the longest unbroken state-tournament traditions in American sports.
First played in 1916, ran through 1972, restarted in 2000. Sixteen teams, four days starting the day after Christmas, split between the two Terre Haute high school gyms. Sponsored by First Financial Bank.
Run by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame at the New Castle Fieldhouse — at 8,424 seats the largest high school fieldhouse in the country. A flagship in-season high school basketball event in Indiana, with boys and girls games over the holiday break.
Birmingham, Alabama — all seven classifications, boys and girls, play semifinals and finals at Legacy Arena at the BJCC over a single week (February 24 through March 1 in 2025). Alabama was the first state to consolidate the championship into one venue this way. Hoover went 35-0 to take its third straight 7A title.
Maine's three-venue model: Northern regionals at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Southern regionals at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, then state finals at the Augusta Civic Center. The Augusta Civic Center is part of Maine's basketball identity — 'Tourney Time' is one of the better-attended state tournaments in the country relative to population.
Clinton, Mississippi — the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (formerly MAIS / MPSA) crowns its overall basketball champions at Mississippi College. The 2025 tournament ran February 17-18 and 24-26. Jackson Prep took the boys overall over Jackson Academy 53-51; Parklane Academy beat MRA for the girls title 45-42.
Mississippi public-school state finals at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson. Seven classifications played over multiple days — Germantown took 7A boys 69-52 over Madison Central in 2025; Coffeeville won 1A; Booneville and Canton claimed 3A and 5A respectively. Brackets seed off region tournaments.
Nevada's largest classification (5A) is functionally Bishop Gorman versus the rest of Las Vegas. Gorman beat Mojave 71-59 for the 2025 title. Lower classifications — 4A through 1A — play their finals separately. Title weekend rotates between Las Vegas-area venues.
North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association postseason, with all four boys titles staged at Providence Day in 2025 and the girls split between Providence Day and Charlotte Latin. Caldwell Academy took 2A boys and Rocky Mount Academy 2A girls — a typical NCISAA bracket where small private programs decide titles.
National Prep Tournament in Fort Walton Beach, Florida takes both high school and post-grad programs. Applications stay open through October 31. If you want a competitive early-March slot without invitation-only barriers, this is the one to apply for.