Wright State, Vandalia Butler to host OHSAA state basketball semifinals

Fort Loramie played Waterford in the Division VII girls basketball state championship game on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at University of Dayton Arena. The OHSAA state tournament will return to UD Arena for the 2025-26 season. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

Fort Loramie played Waterford in the Division VII girls basketball state championship game on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at University of Dayton Arena. The OHSAA state tournament will return to UD Arena for the 2025-26 season. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

All state semifinal and finals for the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s boys and girls state basketball tournaments will be played in the Miami Valley for the 2025-26 season, the organization announced Thursday.

The girls tournament format will remain spread out over three days and the boys will be expanded to four days. All finals will be played at UD Arena for the fifth consecutive season.

Girls finals for Divisions IV (12:30 p.m.), III (3:45 p.m.), and VI (7 p.m.) will take place on March 13. D-VII (10:45 a.m.), V (2 p.m.), II (5:15 p.m.) and I (8:30 p.m.) all will be on March 14.

Wright State’s Nutter Center will host girls semifinals for D-III, VI and VII. D-II and V will either be held at the Nutter Center of Vandalia Butler High School. D-I and IV semifinals are at UD Arena. All semifinal games will be played the day prior to the final, except for D-I will which be held two days prior.

The boys will have finals on March 20 for D-IV (4:15 p.m.) and III (7:30 p.m.). Finals for D-V (1 p.m.), VII (4:15 p.m.), and VI (7:30 p.m.) are on March 21. The D-II (12 p.m.) and I (3:15 p.m.) will be March 21.

Wright State’s Nutter Center will host boys semifinals for D-I, II, IV, VI and VII. UD Arena will host semifinals for D-III and V. All semifinal games will be played the day prior to the final.

The state finals were played at UD Arena for all seven divisions, the first year the tournament was expanded from four to seven, in both boys and girls last year as well, but the semifinals were hosted at geographically based sites and in some cases up to a week before the finals game.

The OHSAA moved the girls state championships from Columbus to Dayton in 2021 and the boys in 2022.

The First Four games of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament will take place in between the OHSAA tournaments on March 17 and 18.

2026 OHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament

Division I

Semifinals — Thursday, March 12 at UD Arena beginning at 6 p.m.

Championship — Saturday, March 14 at UD Arena at 8:30 pm.

Division II

Semifinals — Friday, March 13 at either Wright State (beginning at 6 p.m.) or Vandalia Butler (beginning at 5 p.m.)

Championship — Saturday, March 14 at UD Arena at 5:15 p.m.

Division III

Semifinals — Thursday, March 12 at Wright State beginning at 11 a.m.

Championship — Friday, March 13 at UD Arena at 3:45 p.m.

Division IV

Semifinals — Thursday, March 12 at UD Arena beginning at noon

Championship — Friday, March 13 at UD Arena at 12:30 p.m.

Division V

Semifinals — Friday, March 13 at either Wright State (beginning at 5 p.m.) or Vandalia Butler (beginning at 6 p.m.)

Championship — Saturday, March 14 at UD Arena at 2 p.m.

Division VI

Semifinals — Thursday, March 12 at Wright State beginning at 5 p.m.

Championship — Friday, March 13 at UD Arena at 7 p.m.

Division VII

Semifinals — Friday, March 13 at Wright State beginning at 11 a.m.

Championship — Saturday, March 14 at UD Arena at 10:45 a.m.

2026 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament

Division I

Semifinals — Saturday, March 21 at Wright State beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Championship — Sunday, March 22 at UD Arena at 3:15 pm.

Division II

Semifinals — Saturday, March 21 at Wright State beginning at 11 a.m.

Championship — Sunday, March 22 at UD Arena at noon

Division III

Semifinals — Thursday, March 19 at UD Arena beginning at 6 p.m.

Championship — Friday, March 20 at UD Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Division IV

Semifinals — Thursday, March 19 at Wright State beginning at noon

Championship — Friday, March 20 at UD Arena at 4:15 p.m.

Division V

Semifinals — Friday, March 20 at UD Arena beginning at 10:45 a.m.

Championship — Saturday, March 21 at UD Arena at 1 p.m.

Division VI

Semifinals — Friday, March 20 at Wright State beginning at 6 p.m.

Championship — Saturday, March 21 at UD Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Division VII

Semifinals — Friday, March 20 at Wright State beginning at noon

Championship — Saturday, March 21 at UD Arena at 4:15 p.m.

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