For the first time since 1999, Utah high school basketball will be played at the Huntsman Center next spring.
On June 5, the Utah High School Activities Association announced that the 4A and 5A boys’ basketball tournaments will be played on the U’s campus in March of 2014. The announcement was first reported by The Salt Lake Tribune. Both tournaments were played at the Dee Events Center on the campus of Weber State University in 2013.
“We’re really excited the University of Utah and the current personnel and coaches are willing to work with us and bring high school kids to their campus,” Rob Cuff, executive director for the UHSAA, told The Tribune.
While the UHSAA is pleased with the change, it may cause some interesting scheduling conflicts for Ute teams. Both the men’s and women’s basketball squads, along with the gymnastics team, call the Huntsman Center home and will be in the home stretch of their seasons at the time of the high school tournaments. While the gymnastics team has an alternate practice facility in the Dumke Gymnastics Center, the basketball teams do not, although one is under construction. It is unknown whether it will be completed by next March.
Despite that, Utah women’s basketball head coach Anthony Levrets said he is excited about the change.
“It’s just another opportunity to showcase the university,” Levrets said. “It is also an opportunity to get high school students to see and be on campus … I wish that they would bring the girls’ tournament(s) back too.”
Neither gymnastics co-head coaches Greg and Megan Marsden nor men’s basketball head coach Larry Krystkowiak were available for comment.
According to The Tribune, the agreement is for the tournaments to be played at the Huntsman Center for three of the next six years, alternating with the Dee Events Center, although an official contract has yet to be signed.