BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — In another sign that Minnesota is forging its way back towards normal - albeit it a new normal – state tournaments are returning to the high school landscape for the winter sports season.
In their meeting Thursday, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) board of directors set dates and formats for the winter tournaments, staging them in ways that fans haven't seen before. For instance, boys and girls hockey will be held together, with girls quarterfinals being played March 26 and 27 at the Xcel Energy Center, boys quarters on March 30 and 31, and then the semi-finals and finals for girls and boys will be played together April 1, 2 and 3 at the 'X'. According to state officials, games and competitions have a limit of 150 people. This could change in the coming weeks, and if it does, the MSHSL could update.
Here are the tournament calendar dates and locations approved by the board Friday.
- Girls Hockey: Xcel Energy Center - quarterfinals March 26-27, semis/finals April 1-3
- Boys Hockey: Xcel Energy Center - quarterfinals March 30-31, semis/finals April 1-3
- Girls and Boys Basketball: Various sites - quarterfinals March 30-31, semis April 6-8, finals April 9-10 at Target Center
- Boys Swimming and Diving: University of Minnesota, March 18-20
- Girls Gymnastics: Champlin Park H.S, March 26-27
- Wrestling: High schools locations to be determined, March 25-27
- Alpine Skiing: Giant's Ridge, March 10
- Nordic Skiing: Giant's Ridge, March 12
- Dance: Edina H.S., March 12-13
Athletes, families and fans are certainly celebrating the news that state tournaments are scheduled to resume after all were canceled for fall as COVID-19 numbers went through the roof across Minnesota.
MSHSL spokesman John Millea posted a reminder on his Twitter account that scheduling the tourneys is not the same as actually holding them. He urged athletes and all Minnesotans to continue safe and established practices so the state tournament tradition does not have to be put on hold... again.
