The South Carolina High School League’s state championship basketball games are returning to the Midlands. According to The State newspaper, the league’s executive committee voted Wednesday in favor of bringing the games back to Colonial Life Arena in Columbia for the first time since 2020.
Negotiations to return the championships to South Carolina’s capital city have been ongoing between the SCHSL, Colonial Life Arena, and the University of South Carolina. USC will host the games again, starting with the 2025-26 high school season.
State championship weekend was routinely played in Columbia for years, either at the Colonial Life Arena or Carolina Coliseum, but was moved in 2021 due to scheduling and cost issues. The title games were held at the USC Aiken Convocation Center from 2021 to 2023. Then shifted to the Florence Center for both the state semifinals and championships over an eight- or nine-day period. While some liked the idea of having both the semifinals and finals in the same venue, there were complaints from coaches and fans, especially from the Upstate, about the costs and impacts of so much travel.
The Lower State championships will remain at the Florence Center next year, while Upper State title games will be held at neutral sites and decided by the teams playing in each game.
The football finals will remain at South Carolina State this year, but USC has expressed an interest in hosting the games at Williams-Brice Stadium in the future. However, the stadium won’t be available in 2025-26 because of ongoing construction at the facility.
Also today, Ashley Ridge High School appealed alleged recruiting violations involving football. Initially Ashley Ridge was banned from the playoffs, and the team could not participate in any scrimmages. However, the SCHSL accepted a self-imposed one-year suspension for head coach Jeff Tate with the playoff ban being lifted.
Below is the official release from Ashley Ridge regarding Wednesday’s decision.
