State Basketball Tournaments Will Go On

Below is the most recent press release from the South Dakota High School Activities Association:

After consultation with the Department of Health, the Governor's Office, and our state tournament venues today, the SDHSAA State Basketball tournaments scheduled for this weekend and next weekend remain on as scheduled. The SDHSAA joins the Department of Health and the Governor's Office in asking that those who are vulnerable or at-risk (older adults, individuals with serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes) to avoid large events and cheer on your team from home.

All events will be broadcast on SDPB television and/or sdpb.org. In addition, anyone who feels sick or is having symptoms should not attend. We urge those who are attending to follow CDC recommendations in terms of washing hands, maintaining personal space, and more.

Our venues will take additional precautions with the athletes, including frequent disinfection of game equipment (game balls, chairs, locker room facilities, etc.) and teams will not be engaging in pre and post-game handshakes or participating in any other non-essential contact.

We will continue to work with the state agencies to monitor and assess the situation. If there are any additional changes to the state tournaments, the SDHSAA will issue a statement with that information. We thank you for your patience as we continuously monitor information on this ever-changing situation.

-Dan Swartos, SDHSAA Executive Director