TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Kansas high school basketball state playoffs will look differently in the near future. The Kansas High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) announced Thursday that the state basketball playoffs will move to a total of four host sites. The change will not take place until March of 2026. Previously, and in 2025, each […]
TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Kansas high school basketball state playoffs will look differently in the near future.
The Kansas High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) announced Thursday that the state basketball playoffs will move to a total of four host sites. The change will not take place until March of 2026. Previously, and in 2025, each of the seven classes have played/will play in separate locations on state weekend.
Further details have not been provided as to which facilities will play as host sites for which classifications. There will remain the seven current classifications: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A DI and 1A DII.
More changes come to the 3A-1A DII levels starting in 2024-25 season. Rather than eight sub-states with eight teams per sub-state, a new format will take place.
Each class will be split into four regions with two sub-states within. This will allow a seeding process to better align with teams’ records.
For example, 16 teams in 2A will be placed into one region. That region will seed those teams off of record, one through 16. Those 16 teams will be placed into two substate brackets, with these opening-round matchups.
Substate A:
No. 1 vs No. 16
No. 4 vs No. 13
No. 5 vs No. 12
No. 8 vs No. 9
Substate B:
No. 2 vs No. 15
No. 3 vs No. 14
No. 6 vs No. 11
No. 7 vs No. 10
One winner from each sub-state game will advance to the state tournament, giving the eight total teams at the state site.