Hopefully in 2 years Glens Falls will get the bid back to host the tournament again.
This past Wednesday the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Executive Committee voted by a 12-10 margin to move the NYS Boys Basketball tournament from Glens Falls to Binghamton. This would be the 1st time in 35 years that the tournament will not be played in Glens Falls.
The tournament will be held in Binghamton from 2025-2027, however, Glens Falls can start the bidding in 2 years to get the tournament back. That is something that Chip Corlew, the local tournament director, is going to do his best to make happen.
Glens Falls unfortunately lost the bid to Binghamton due to financial considerations. The Executive Director of the NYSPHSAA said that Binghamton's bid was a better financial decision because of the $20,000 donation that they make to the NYSPHSAA each year on top of the fact that they provide free athletic trainers. Binghamton will also allow the NYSPHSAA to use their own ticketing platform.
This actually isn't the fist time that Binghamton has gotten the bid to host the tournament. Back in 2015/2016 Glens Falls lost the bid to Binghamton but was able to win it back for the next 3 year cycle.
As for this upcoming cycle, Glens Falls bid was about more than the money according to Corlew. He told The Post Star -
“The parts that don’t have dollar signs on it — the amenities, the restaurants, the practice facilities are close by, stuff outside of basketball that families can enjoy — things that we’ve built over 35 years,” Corlew said. “Binghamton can’t reproduce that. And it’s a safe city. ... You can’t put a price tag on that, and knowing how to run a tournament properly.”
For this year though, the NYS Tournament will be held at Cool Insuring Arena from March 14th through the 17th. My suggestion for anyone that isn't happy that the tournament is moving next year, is to come out to this years tournament and support the teams and the arena.
