AMES – Since 1963, Des Moines has been the host city of the IHSAA boys basketball state championships. The event has been a staple of downtown Des Moines every March, first at Veterans Memorial Auditorium and then at Wells Fargo Arena since 2006.
But, the tournaments will have a new home starting in 2027 after an agreement between Discover Ames, the IHSAA and Iowa State Athletics will bring the event to Hilton Coliseum in 2027.
“We are super excited to partner with Iowa State Athletics and the IHSAA to bring the state basketball tournament to Ames and Hilton Coliseum starting in 2027,” Discover Ames President and CEO Kevin Bourke stated in a news release. “This weeklong event will expose teams and fans from across the state to Iowa State University, as well as create a huge economic impact to Ames while showcasing our wonderful community.”
The switch from Wells Fargo Arena to Hilton Coliseum means that the maximum crowd capacity will slightly shift from 16,110, listed for basketball events, to 14,267.
With CyTown set for completion in 2027, the hope is that it will act as a destination for state basketball travelers throughout the week.
“It is a great example of the new economic opportunities that CyTown can bring to the Ames community,” Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard stated in a news release. “This will be the first of many such opportunities our community will have in future years, because of Iowa State University’s investment in CyTown.”
The deal is also in place for five years, keeping the boys’ basketball championships in Ames through 2031.
“We are excited to host this great event and our staff looks forward to working with the IHSAA to make this special for the athletes, coaches and fans whose teams reach the state tournament each year,” Pollard stated.
The five-day state tournament plays host to four classes of basketball and features 32 teams from all across Iowa. All corners of the state will come to Ames for the chance to become a champion.
The 2027 state tournament will be March 8-12, which is the week before spring break for Iowa State that year.
This will not be the first time the city of Ames will host the tournament. Between 1917 and 1926, Ames hosted the tournament six times, when the school went by Iowa State College and the games took place at State Gym.
