High school Boy’s Basketball Championships heading south

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The local high school basketball scene is laying up towards a new championship location. For much of the last few decades, the Cool Insuring Arena has been the host of the Boy’s Basketball Championship.

2024 will be their last year under a contract that is not being renewed. “We really thought this year’s bid was very competitive. Internally, we thought it was a better bid than Binghamton put forward but unfortunately, the New York Public High School Athletic Association decided to go in a different direction,” said General Manager of the Cool Insuring Arena, Jeff Mead.

Visions Veterans Memorial Arena will be their new home. Mead says this is not the first time the games went to the Southern Tier, being 2017 through 2019.

“We fill the hotels with the athletes that come to Glens Falls and the fans that have come from all over New York State. Our local restaurants, our bars, our retail stores… It’s a big hit on them financially.”

“The basketball tournament is one of our biggest days of the year. I would say that weekend is one of the top three best weekends in terms of business,” explained Bar Supervisor at Davidson Brothers Brewpub, Alex Doin.

Doin adds this winter season is slow but similar to years past. He is looking forward to the championship-level crowds before they disappear for at least three years.

“Right now, with the hockey games, they’re kind of what keeps a lot of the businesses afloat this time of the year. The prospects of any event at the arena really helps us a lot.”

From Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17, The Boy’s Basketball Championship will be in Glens Falls.