A New Era for Kansas Basketball
In 2028, the Kansas high school basketball state championship games will all take place in the Wichita region, marking the first time since 1945 that every title game will be staged so close together.
The decision follows a request from member schools to consolidate the tournaments into fewer sites, giving fans the chance to watch multiple classifications and experience a statewide basketball festival.
Venues slated to host the finals include Koch Arena at Wichita State, Heartland Federal Credit Union Arena in Park City, the Garvey Center at Friends University, and Hutchinson Sports Arena at Hutchinson Community College.
KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick said the new format will let supporters cheer for the best athletes across the 14 championship tournaments while feeling the excitement of victory in their preferred arena.
Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita, expressed pride in welcoming all classifications of the KSHSAA Boys & Girls Basketball State Championships to the Wichita region in 2028.
Beginning with the 2026 and 2027 seasons, quarterfinal rounds will be played at multiple sites across Kansas, with the opening‑round venues for 2028 including Kansas City Kansas Community College, White Auditorium in Emporia, Koch Arena, Friends University, Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina, Kansas Wesleyan University, and United Wireless Arena in Dodge City.
Wichita has a long history of hosting KSHSAA championships, and bringing every classification together across the region at the same time presents a tremendous opportunity for the community and basketball fans statewide.
For teams that survive the quarterfinal round, the path to a 2028 state title will converge on the same part of the state, creating a rare weekend where nearly every championship race is within driving distance for Wichita‑area fans.
Schedules and ticket information will be released closer to the event, but the unprecedented concentration of games promises a historic weekend for high school basketball in Kansas.