High school basketball: Where things stand with the 2020-21 season in all 50 states

By Jordan Divens Apr 8, 2021, 8:00am

New states continue to begin play as the total number of states that have kicked off their 2020-21 season stands at 45.

Many of the states across high school basketball have powered through their 2020-21 seasons as 45 states and the District of Columbia have kicked off their seasons (complete list below), while Virginia was the first state to complete state tournament play in late February.

Alabama and Mississippi were the first two states to begin on Nov. 5, while other states have still yet to begin their 2020-21 campaigns.

Delays and ongoing changes have been a common theme in high school basketball as many notable tournaments have been canceled, including the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, City of Palms Classic, Chick-fil-A Classic, 'Iolani Classic, John Wall Holiday Invitational and Spalding Hoophall Classic.

The McDonald's All-American Game was also recently called off for the second consecutive year.



Although these cancellations created challenges for many programs who use these events as staples of their national-schedule, adjustments were made to make the best of the situation for many top-tier teams.

As the COVID-19 surge blankets the country and state associations continue to evaluate a safe path to resuming athletics, schedule changes continue to happen.

Some examples include California, New Mexico and Oregon delaying their seasons until the spring. Additionally, states continue to work to keep athletes and spectators safe as was evident in North Carolina instituting a mask mandate during practices and games.

Below is an updated list of when the high school basketball season is set to begin in all 50 states.
Graphic By: Ryan Escobar
States already underway

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

States with scheduled start dates



Washington – April 26
Oregon – May 17

Canceled

Hawaii, Nevada

Notable tournaments/events canceled

Alhambra Invitational — Cumberland, Md.
Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions — Springfield, Mo.
Cancer Research Classic — Wheeling, W.Va.
City of Palms Classic — Fort Myers, Fla.
Chick-fil-A Classic — Columbia, S.C.
Chicago Elite Classic — Chicago
Flyin to the Hoop Classic — Dayton, OH
Hoop City Classic — Sioux Falls, S.D.
'Iolani Classic — Honolulu
John Wall Holiday Invitational — Raleigh, N.C.
Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions — Washington, Ill.
Kevin Durant National Hoopfest — Multiple sites
Les Schwab Invitational — Hillsboro, Ore.
Lighthouse Classic — Corinth, Miss.
Slam Dunk to the Beach — Lewes, Del.
Spalding Hoophall Classic — Springfield, Mass.

Notable tournaments/events rescheduled

The Classic at Damien — La Verne, Calif., April 3-10
Nike Extravaganza — Santa Ana, Calif., May 14-15