(2-29-24) It’s that time of the year for Ohio high school basketball…tournament time. Let’s take a look at what it takes for an Athletic Director to host a Sectional tournament game.

In an email reply from veteran Coldwater AD Eric Goodwin he gives us some of what the school gets for hosting their sectional game this week —

We get $1,300 to host a Sectional Basketball game. This is used to cover our expenses. OHSAA pays for officials directly. Will will net about 1/2 of that after paying for personnel (Ticket sellers, scoreboards, etc.). No money to the visiting team for travel. We are permitted to do 50/50’s now and keep all of the profits (whatever group runs them). Broadcast checks go directly to the OHSAA.

Simple math on tickets, OHSAA gets all of the sales, no percentage goes to either school. $8 for adults and $5 for a student ticket. Coldwater draws well, so if at least 1,000 tixs are sold (we’ll go with the student price) that is $5,000….minus $1,300 to Coldwater that leaves $3,700 for the association. Remember that is for just one site, the OHSAA has 799 boys member schools playing in this year’s first round.

OHSAA–OHIO HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2023-24 OHSAA BASKETBALL SECTIONAL/DISTRICT Tournament Manager’s Manual (56 pages)

Somebody might want to inform the Executive Director that there are Sectional games being played in Ohio…despite him saying at a recent meeting of member schools that there are no sectionals in the OHSAA…maybe he should look at the OHSAA manual for Sectional/District tournament managers.

From the Toledo Blade…

“First of all, we don’t have sectionals. We haven’t had sectionals for a long time. The Northwest district might call them sectionals, but in our office … ”

A few interesting item from the manual above, that was just updated for this season —

AD’s are required to file several different reports after the game to report ticket sales, etc.

There should be no expectation that the distance a team must travel to an OHSAA tournament contest is considered a competitive advantage for either team. There will be situations in which one team must travel further than another team to a tournament site – this is not considered a competitive advantage for a team. Should this NOT be understood and accepted by a competing team, the team/school should not enter the OHSAA Tournament.

All teams hosting games on their home courts will not conduct Parents’ Nights, Senior Nights or other ‘special recognition’ nights at tournament contests.

All broadcast fees go directly to the OHSAA

COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
Each participating school will receive complimentary admission for eight (8) school administrators, digitally, through HomeTown Ticketing. One digital code will be provided to each school. Each code will have eight (8) tickets attached to the code. The same code will be utilized, as a school advances in the tournament.

WINTER SPORT TICKET PRICES AS ADOPTED BY THE OHSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
BASKETBALL

  • Sectional and District admission online – Students $5.00, Adults $8.00
  • Sectional and District admission at the gate (high school venues only) Students $5.00, Adults
    $8.00
  • Regional admission: Students $5.00, Adults $12.00.
  • State admission Students $10, Adults $16.00.

All Home teams by designation MUST wear white jerseys – no exceptions.

  • All teams hosting games on their home courts will not conduct Parents’ Nights, Senior
    Nights or other ‘special recognition’ nights at tournament contests.
  • Only fifteen (15) eligible players may be in uniform for any one tournament game.
  • Eighteen (18) seats will be available to players and coaches. With five (5) individuals on the
    court, which means there are 23 individuals total permitted in the bench are for all contests.
    That number is to include all players, coaches, managers, trainers, ball boys, etc.

Cheerleaders & Mascots

Cheerleaders: Sixteen (16) cheerleaders, one mascot, and one advisor/coach will be admitted free to the session in which their team plays. If there is no school mascot, an additional cheerleader is NOT permitted. Reminder – only eight cheerleaders plus one mascot may be on the floor at any time.

Spectator Attire – Shirts/appropriate attire must be worn by all spectators at all OHSAA indoor tournaments

Public address announcers are to remain neutral and professional in their duties as announcers.

The next time you see an AD that is hosting a tournament game…be sure to say thank you for all of his hard work he/she has to do.