How COVID-19 will alter Texas’ upcoming high school basketball season
The fall sports seasons aren’t the only high school programs that will look different this year due to the coronavirus. The boys and girls basketball seasons, which runs from October into March, will also be affected.
The University Interscholastic League announced on Tuesday major changes to its fall athletic schedule with modifications in football, volleyball, cross country and team tennis. The biggest takeaway was that the UIL split 6A-5A and 4A-1A onto two different tracks, and implemented a delayed start to the seasons for the two largest classifications.
But the news also affected basketball.
No tournaments or showcases will be allowed during the upcoming season and each team is allowed a maximum of 27 games.
Several featured events around the Metroplex have been canceled, including the Mansfield ISD Spring Creek Classic. The boys tourney was to have been held earlier in the season, while the girls’ event was to be held after Christmas.
Other tournaments that have been called off include the Cowtown Classic (North Crowley), Thanksgiving Hoopfest, Sandra Meadows Classic (Duncanville girls) and the boys and girls Whataburger Tournament, which has been running for the past 62 years.
“I was expecting some kind of announcement, but I was totally in the dark on what to expect,” said Duane Gregory, the coach of Mansfield Timberview’s boys team. “I understand what the UIL was aiming for. They have to look at all the sports and try their best to lessen the opportunity of large crowds.”
Typically, teams will schedule two or three tournaments every season.
“It’s a starting point and some direction forward,” said Gregory, whose team was in last year’s Whataburger Tournament and won it in 2017. “It still may change ... but whatever it is, we’ll adapt.”
The change also affects the playoffs.
No regional tournaments will take place in February. Regional tournaments normally consist of four teams from the same region at one predetermined site during a course of two days. The final two teams play in the regional final with the winner clinching a berth into the state tournament.
Instead of two days, the regional semifinals and regional finals have been split into two separate rounds with a break in between and a site agreed upon by the two schools, just like the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Timberview reached the state tournament in March for the third time in four years. The girls program has made the regional tournament in five consecutive seasons.
“It’s a difficult situation and the UIL is doing the best they can. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer,” Gregory said. “From a tradition standpoint, it’s disappointing. You always shoot for the regional tourney. Anything can happen from there.”
The state tournament remains in place for March in San Antonio.
Other changes in basketball includes only two scrimmages for each team. No more than four teams may meet for scrimmage purposes at one site. For sites that are used to having multiple groups of four at a scrimmage fest, that will no longer be allowed for the 2020-21 basketball season.
The UIL suspended last season’s boys basketball state tournament in March and had hoped to finish the event later in the spring, but eventually that tournament and the entire spring season was put on hold for a month before the UIL eventually canceled it.
UIL 2020-21 basketball schedule
| GIRLS | EVENT | BOYS |
| Oct. 21 | practice starts | Oct. 28 |
| Oct. 31 | first scrimmage | Nov. 7 |
| Nov. 6 | regular season starts | Nov. 13 |
| Feb. 9 | district certification deadline | Feb. 16 |
| Feb. 11-13 | bi-district | Feb. 18-20 |
| Feb. 15-16 | area | Feb. 22-23 |
| Feb. 18-20 | quarterfinals | Feb. 25-27 |
| Feb. 22-23 | regional semifinals | March 1-2 |
| Feb. 26-27 | regional finals | March 4-6 |
| March 4-6 | state tournament | March 11-13 |
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 7:15 AM.
