A national youth basketball tournament is coming to Salina.
According to the Salina-area Chamber of Commerce, the National Division II Christian Homeschool Basketball Tournament (ND2CHA) has selected Salina as the venue for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 tournaments. The three-day event is expected to draw Salina annually in addition to 80 teams featuring middle and high school boys and girls from several Midwestern states. Below are the dates of the event.
- 2024: February 29 – March 2, 2024 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
- 2025: 6 March – 8 March 2025 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
- 2026: March 5 – March 7, 2026 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
Kansas Wesleyan University’s Salina Fieldhouse and Mabee Arena will be the primary venues for the event. The majority of the tournament will take place at the Salina Fieldhouse starting Thursday. Games will start at approximately 7:30am and continue until 10pm daily. On Friday afternoon, the event takes a “Time Out” which is a special event for players and spectators with a devotional speaker and a shooting competition. Time-Out will take place in Mabee Arena, where there will be plenty of seating and space for all attendees.
Steve Poage, ND2CHA Basketball Tournament Director, “We are thrilled to have our tournament in Salina. In addition to its central location, Salina has outstanding facilities such as KWU’s Salina Fieldhouse and Mabee Arena. Additionally, Salina’s diverse lodging and dining options will provide excellent choices for our athletes, families, officials and spectators. We believe the move to Salina is a win/win, a win for the preschool basketball organization, and a win for the student athletes and all in attendance!
Visit Salina estimates that the three-day event will generate $932,000 in economic impact in the Salina area.
Tiffany Benien, Visit Salina, commented, “A big thank you to the National Division II Christian Homeschool Association and Salina Fieldhouse and Kansas Wesleyan University for working together to make this event possible in Salina. This is a big event for Salina and we are so excited to welcome teams from all over the United States. I truly believe Salina will embrace this event, provide an atmosphere to grow in the future, and continue its success!
