State Championships Set to Stay at the Alamodome Through 2028
The University Interscholastic League announced that the Alamodome in San Antonio will serve as the venue for its boys and girls basketball state championships through the end of 2028, cementing the arena’s role in the league’s championship rotation.
While the agreement extends through 2028, the UIL is already scouting alternative sites for future tournaments, a move prompted in part by the recent demolition of the Frank Erwin Center, which previously hosted the championships, and by the fact that only two San Antonio‑area teams reached the finals in the most recent season.
Broader Shifts in UIL Programming and Compensation
The league’s schedule now overlaps with the expanded College Football Playoff, which has drawn attention to the location of football state title games that remain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, a venue the UIL has no immediate plans to leave.
Beyond venue considerations, the UIL is grappling with name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation for high school athletes after the passage of House Bill 126, a topic that has split opinion among coaches; UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor, for example, has voiced opposition to paying high school players.
To support schools and families navigating these changes, the Texas High School Coaches Association has partnered with Eccker Sports Group, a firm that offers NIL resources for coaches, athletes and parents, while the UIL plans to survey superintendents this fall about adopting girls flag football as an official UIL sport.
The NCAA has already placed women’s flag football in its Emerging Sports for Women program, and the sport is slated to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028, underscoring the growing visibility of the game.