N.C. Independent Schools to change basketball playoff format in 2017

When the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association board of managers met last summer, they adopted a slight change to one of the NCISAA’s most popular events: its annual state championship basketball tournament.

Beginning with the 2017 event, to be held in February, the tournament will be played over two weeks. In past years, according to Fayetteville Academy athletics director Chip Bishop, the tournament was held in one week, with teams playing up to four games in five nights. The tournament would begin on Tuesday at the higher seed. Next, the quarterfinals (Thursday) and semifinals (Friday) were played at three neutral sites in the same city, with Saturday’s finals being held at one school.

The 2016 tournament, for example, was held in Raleigh with the finals at Raleigh Ravenscroft.

“The coaches didn’t want to play four games in five days anymore,” said Bishop, who has run the state tournament for 10 years and is the basketball chairman for the NCISAA board of managers.

This season, the first two rounds will be played at the higher seed on Tuesday Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 18. Teams also have the option to play the second round, or state quarterfinal game on Friday, Feb. 17.

The 1A semifinals are Friday, Feb. 24 at Charlotte Christian (1A), Covenant Day (2A) and Charlotte Country Day (3A). The championship round will be held Saturday Feb. 25 at Charlotte Latin School.

This story was originally published August 31, 2016 at 11:02 AM with the headline "N.C. Independent Schools to change basketball playoff format in 2017."