JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the first time in nearly 50 years, the high school basketball state tournament returned to Jacksonville, and it made a major impact both on and off the court.
More than 20,000 fans packed UNF Arena over two-and-a-half weeks, as teams from across Florida competed for state titles. The event featured 48 high school games and was part of a busy stretch that saw the University of North Florida host 74 total basketball games in just 19 days.
This marked the first time since 1976 that Jacksonville hosted the state tournament, and it proved to be a major draw for the city.
According to Visit Jacksonville, the tournament helped fill 2,400 hotel rooms and generated an estimated $3.1 million in economic impact.
“People are just so excited about the atmosphere that was created,” UNF VP of intercollegiate athletics Nick Morrow said. ”Us being able to show off UNF Arena and just the investment we made in that facility over the past few years. Showing off our beautiful campus.”
The tournament also served as a major recruiting tool for UNF Athletics, while giving local teams a chance to compete on a big stage close to home - with 11 area programs making appearances.
“The crowd, being close to home, the support of the alumni in the community was really important to the girls and was pretty special to do it at UNF,” Bishop Kenny girls basketball head coach Will Mayer said.
Behind the scenes, the event was the result of a three-year collaborative effort between UNF, the FHSAA, the City of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sports Foundation, and Visit Jacksonville.
“The energy in the building was everything we hoped it would be,” FHSAA administrator of athletics Ed Thompson said. ”The arena at UNF provided an opportunity for our spectators and community stakeholders to be closer to the game than they’ve ever been.”
UNF officials say they’re already working with the FHSAA to make improvements - focusing on everything from fan experience to expanded hospitality options.
“How do we build it and make it even greater than what we just had,” Morrow said. ”That will be the focus...but also how do we add additional experiences to make it great for just the student athlete, the fans, anybody coming on campus, and also for our staff.”
UNF will host the state tournament again in 2027 and 2028 - and with more flexibility in its schedule next year, the university hopes to build on an already successful debut.