Iowa high school basketball is governed by the IHSAA (Iowa) for boys and the IGHSAU for girls — the state is one of the few where the boys and girls associations are separate. State tournaments happen in early March at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Iowa's girls' state series — the oldest girls' state high school tournament in the country, dating to 1920. Five classes, 40 teams, single-elimination at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Iowa PBS broadcasts every game live on statewide TV with free YouTube and iowapbs.org streams.
Tournament details →Iowa's boys' state series — eight teams from each of four classes converge on Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines for a five-day single-elimination tournament. The event moves to Hilton Coliseum in Ames starting in 2027. Iowa PBS will broadcast championships starting 2025-26.
Tournament details →Boys: Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA — Iowa). Girls: Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU).
National Prep Tournament · March 6–8, 2026
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.
Apply for the National Prep Tournament →