SC high school basketball championships won’t be in Columbia for second straight year
The South Carolina High School League’s basketball state championships won’t be returning to Columbia this year.
The title games will be played at USC Aiken for the second year in a row, the SCHSL announced at its executive committee meeting Wednesday. The finals will be held over three days, March 3-5.
In the past, basketball championships were held at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia over a two-day period, but the venue wasn’t an option last year. The response from the SCHSL and the coaches in the 2020 games was positive for the 3,600-seat USC Aiken Convocation Center, so the event will be back there.
Last year, the championships were held at limited capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there won’t be any restrictions for attendance this year.
“There are no limitations to spectators and capacity,” SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton said during the meeting. “We are wide open unless the venue tells us we have to reduce it.”
The Upper State and Lower State championships will be returning to two venues after being held last season at neutral sites because of COVID — they will take place over three days, Feb. 26, Feb. 28 and March 1. It will be announced at a later date which classifications will be played at both days.
The Upper State championship will be held at Bob Jones University’s 3,000-seat Davis Field House, while the Lower State finals are back at the Florence Center.
In the past, Upper State had been held at Bon Secours Wellness Center in downtown Greenville.
The SCHSL also announced that dual wrestling championships will remain at Dreher High School on Feb. 12, and individual championships will be Feb. 25-26 at Anderson Civic Center.
Other items presented during the executive committee meeting:
▪ Horse Creek Academy’s appeal for membership in the SCHSL was denied.
▪ Greenwood Christian’s appeal for membership in the SCHSL was approved 9-5. It will go into effect for 2022-23 school year.
