Pennsylvania high school basketball is governed by PIAA. The state has a strong Catholic-school presence (Philadelphia Catholic League) and a long state tournament tradition with finals in late March at Giant Center in Hershey.
Western PA programs get an NHL-arena game once a year before the holiday break. Lincoln Park, Montour, South Fayette, Moon, Peters Township, Fox Chapel are typical. Started in 2023 and has run three straight years. Tip-off around 1 p.m., wraps that night.
Tournament details →Pennsylvania Independent Schools state-tournament for prep schools that don't compete in PIAA — Hill, Westtown, Perkiomen, Phelps, Episcopal Academy, Penn Charter. Perkiomen beat Westtown in the 2024 boys final 71-64. Westtown girls have a 5-year title streak.
Tournament details →League bracket among the Philadelphia archdiocesan schools, finals at The Palestra. Roman Catholic, Neumann-Goretti, Father Judge, Archbishop Wood and Carroll have rotated the trophy in recent years. Roman ran a three-peat into 2024-25; St. Joe's Prep was top seed in 2025 looking for first title since 2004. The PCL champion typically rolls to the PIAA 6A title soon after.
Tournament details →Pittsburgh Public Schools play their own championship instead of WPIAL. Allderdice has won five straight (2021-2025), most recently beating Obama Academy 59-53 in February 2025. Champions go straight to PIAA states. Smaller field but consistently produces a state-quality team in 5A or 6A.
Tournament details →District 7 (Western PA) finals at Pitt's home arena. The path to PIAA states starts here for everyone west of Altoona. Belle Vernon (4A), Chartiers Valley (5A) and Jeannette won 2025 boys titles. Allderdice has rolled the parallel City League four straight years — they don't enter WPIAL.
Tournament details →Hershey hosts all 12 PIAA boys and girls finals across three days at the Giant Center. The 2025 boys 6A final was Father Judge vs Roman Catholic, both Philadelphia Catholic League. PCN broadcasts everything statewide. PIAA includes both public and private schools, which is why Catholic-league programs win at every classification level.
Tournament details →The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA).
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 →