When does the Iowa boys state basketball tournament move? What to know about IHSAA's plan.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Tuesday that the boys high school basketball state tournament is making the move to Ames' Hilton Coliseum in 2027.

It will be the first time in decades that the tournament hasn't been held in downtown Des Moines.Here's a look at what we know about the move.How long has the boys state basketball tournament been hosted in Des Moines?Shifting the tournament north from Des Moines comes as a substantial change.

The tournament had been hosted at the state's capital city every year since 1963.

Before that, it was held in several different cities, including Ames, Iowa City, Cedar Falls, Ottumwa and Boone, according to the IHSAA.When is the Iowa boys state basketball tournament moving? Tuesday's announcement said the contract to host the games at Hilton will begin in March 2027 and run until 2032.

Here are the future tournament dates:March 8-12, 2027March 6-10, 2028March 5-9, 2029March 4-8, 2030March 10-14, 2031Why is the Iowa boys state basketball tournament moving? IHSAA Executive Director Tom Keating Keating said the move is being made to pump energy into an event that, at least in its initial rounds, often was dwarfed by the 16,110-seat Wells Fargo, which was built to host NBA and NHL games and concerts by major touring acts.IHSAA officials adjusted the space to try to make it feel more intimate this year, but "we can only do so much of that," Keating said.

"Unless we have a year where we have a (Ames High grad and now San Antonio Spurs power forward) Harrison Barnes or we have a (Linn-Mar grad and former North Carolina Tar Heel) Marcus Paige, we're not going to fill that arena.""Hilton is a little more intimate feel.

With the success Iowa State has had the past couple of years, there's a lot of excitement in the arena," he said, adding, "We felt like people would be a little more curious and intrigued."The basketball-specific arena in Ames has a capacity of 14,356.How will the Iowa boys state basketball tournament moving impact Ames economy?Local officials couldnt be happier about the opportunity to show off the community and experience the economic boon of bringing tens of thousands of high school basketball fans to town.The IHSAA accepts 32 teams into the state tournament, with eight qualifiers across each of the four classes.

Since moving to a five-day format in 2018, the boys state tournament has averaged approximately 50,000 paid attendees.That influx of visitors is anchored by the athletes, coaches, their families and other fans.

The tournament is expected to provide a local annual economic impact of about $1.5 million or about $7.5 million over the course of the five-year contract with Hilton Coliseum.More: Ames is the new home of the boys state basketball tournament.

How will it impact the economy?And that doesnt even include ticket sales and concession stands and things that happen inside Hilton, Kevin Bourke, president and CEO of Discover Ames, said.

Catch Des Moines CEO Greg Edwards estimated that Des Moines would lose about $750,000 without the tournament.

He noted the shift to the five-day format led to fewer hotel rooms being used in Des Moines.

Where are other IHSAA state tournaments hosted in Iowa?Not all of Iowa's high school state tournaments take place in the capital city.

Here's where other boys state tournaments are hosted:Wrestling state tournament: Wells Fargo Arena in Des MoinesSoccer state tournament: Des Moines stadiums and complexesBaseball state tournament: Lewis & Clark Park in Sioux City Track state tournament: Drake Stadium in Des MoinesFootball state tournament: UNI-Dome, Cedar FallsCan I stream IHSAA tournaments?Three IHSAA championship games football, wrestling and basketball are coming to Iowa PBS starting in fall 2025 on a multi-year initial agreement.We are excited to extend our award-winning, in-depth broadcasts to the IHSAA and mutually ensure statewide access of these games across all 99 counties of Iowa and beyond." said Andrew Batt, executive director and general manager at Iowa PBS.The live broadcast and streaming comes in addition to the networks existing coverage of Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union championships for multiple sports.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register.

Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What we know about IHSAA moving the boys state basketball tournament.

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