Athletic directors met last week and voted to pilot a new hosting format for the 10th Region Girls Basketball Tournament, marking the first change of its kind in the tournament’s 52-year history.
The four district champions will host first round games on the same night on Monday, March 2. Meaning four games will be played at the same time at different sites.
The semifinals and finals will be played at Harrison County on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7.
Athletic directors approved the change in an effort to increase revenue, believing that scheduling four simultaneous games on the same night at multiple locations would draw higher overall attendance than hosting two games on separate nights at a single venue. Participating schools will still split the net revenue from ticket sales. Several other regions use this format.
Casual fans will be forced to choose a single first-round game to attend, missing the other three. The same challenge applies to media outlets that traditionally cover the entire tournament, including 10thRegion.com and the Cynthiana, Maysville, Mt. Sterling, and Winchester radio stations, all of which broadcast every game each year.
Using last year’s tournament as an example, this would have been the first round setup. These games would have taken place on Monday night and left Tuesday open, with the semifinals on Friday and finals on Saturday.
Campbell County @ Nicholas County
Mason County @ George Rogers Clark
Montgomery County @ Bishop Brossart
Harrison County @ Bracken County
Last year’s ticket price was $10 a night. Fans who attended the first round and semifinals paid $10 and could watch both games if they chose to. Ticket prices may change and be less than $10 to reflect the fact there is only one game.
Tournament location and the teams involved play a significant role in attendance. Last year’s tournament was held at Campbell County Middle School, requiring a 90-minute drive for George Rogers Clark and nearly a two-hour trip for Montgomery County.
If Bishop Brossart, Scott, or Pendleton County were to win their district, it is undetermined whether their gymnasiums meet the seating capacity requirements to host a regional tournament game. However, capacity may not be an issue for one game.
Last year’s tournament at Campbell County Middle School made a gross profit of $23,400. After the expenses of game officials ($2,462), trophies ($401), travel ($1,596), other itemized expenses ($2,452), and allowance to the host school ($4,500), the remaining net profit of $11,990 was divided into a $1,499 payout to the eight participating schools.
You can view the full district, region, and state tournament schedules and sites here.
