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Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament making move to ISU’s Hilton Coliseum in 2027
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
For more than 60 years the Iowa boys high school basketball state tournament has been held in Des Moines. That streak will end in 2027 as the tournament will make the move to Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum in Ames, the Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
The state tournament has been held in Des Moines since 1963, first at Veterans Memorial Auditorium and then continuously at Wells Fargo Arena beginning in 2006.
A five-year agreement will bring the in the use of the University’s first-of-its-find multi-use CyTown district, which is slated to go online in 2027. The development will feature restaurants, shopping, entertainment and a 200-room Marriott hotel.
“We couldn’t be more excited about what this opportunity will offer our student-athletes, schools, and supporters as they experience an elite basketball environment at Hilton and an awesome new tournament community in CyTown and Ames,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “Our sincere appreciation goes to everyone who has helped make this possible at Iowa State University, Discover Ames and Cyclone Athletics.”
Hilton Coliseum holds a capacity of 14,267 and consistently boasts strong attendance numbers for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. The Cyclones rank among the national leaders in home attendance.
ISU will be making the facilities at Hilton and the attached Scheman Building available for the state tournament as well. ISU has installed a new state-of-the-art video board, LED ribbon boards and an audio system ahead of the 2024-25 season. They have also upgraded team locker rooms as well.
“On behalf of Iowa State University, thank you to the IHSAA board, Tom Keating, and Tom’s staff for deciding to bring the Athletic Association’s state basketball tournament to Ames to experience Hilton Magic,” Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said. “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.”
“This is a major win for Iowa State University and our communities’ hotels and restaurants,” he added. “It is a great example of the new economic opportunities that CyTown can bring to the Ames community. 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.”
Since moving to five-day format in 2018, the IHSAA basketball tournament has averaged 50,000 paid attendees with full capacity available.
Ames hosts over 100,000 youth sports visitors yearly through events like the Iowa Games, Special Olympics of Iowa’s Summer Games and more.
“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,” said Discover Ames President and CEO Kevin Bourke. “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.”
Ames played host to the IHSAA’s basketball tournament six times between 1917 and 1926, all inside then-Iowa State College’s State Gym.
The IHSAA concluded its 2025 championships on Friday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
“We have great relationships in Des Moines and at Iowa Events Center, and we thank them for all their years of support and their continued work in hosting our events,” Keating said.
FUTURE IHSAA STATE BASKETBALL DATES
March 8-12, 2027
March 6-10, 2028
March 5-9, 2029
March 4-8, 2030
March 10-14, 2031
