HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Sports Arena will be part of a new Wichita-area footprint for the 2028 KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament semifinals and finals.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association announced that Hutchinson Sports Arena at Hutchinson Community College will host the Class 2A boys and girls semifinal and championship games in 2028.
The 2028 tournament will mark the first time all semifinal and final sites are located in the Wichita area. Other tournament sites will include Koch Arena at Wichita State University, Heartland Federal Credit Union Arena in Park City and the Garvey Center at Friends University.
KSHSAA said it is the first time since 1945 that all state championship games will be held in such close proximity. The format comes after KSHSAA member schools requested that championship tournaments be combined into fewer sites.
“State championship tournaments feature Kansas student athletes on the biggest stage for the most important games of their season,” KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said. “With all games in the greater Wichita area, fans will be able to support the best of the best in the pursuit of the ultimate prize in high school sports while witnessing the thrill of victory in their choice of the 14 championship tournaments.”
The 2028 season will bring all semifinal and final matchups for boys and girls basketball within the Wichita region for the first time in tournament history.
“We’re incredibly proud and excited to welcome all classifications of the KSHSAA Boys & Girls Basketball State Championships to the Wichita region in 2028,” said Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita. “Wichita has hosted KSHSAA championships for many years, and bringing every classification together across the region at the same time is a tremendous opportunity for our community and for basketball fans across Kansas.”
Class assignments for the Wichita-area sites other than Hutchinson will be announced later. Ticket information and schedules also will be released closer to the tournament.
The opening round of the 2028 state tournament will follow the same sites established for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. First-round sites include Kansas City Kansas Community College, White Auditorium in Emporia, Koch Arena, Friends University, Tony’s Pizza Event Center, Kansas Wesleyan University and United Wireless Arena in Dodge City.
Winners from the state quarterfinals will advance to the Wichita-area semifinal and championship sites.