Given there will be conference tournaments in the 5A and 6A classifications this year, and I suspect AAA will probably NOT list those on their website, I'm going to have a go at it here. I'll also list the state tournament locations here as well.
I hope to be able to get out and see some conference tournament play this year, so to assist in any planning here goes:
7A
No conference tournament at this classification
State tournament location: Springdale HS, Oct 25-27
6A
Conference tournaments:
6A East: Oct 16-22, location TBA
6A West: Oct 16-22, location TBA
State tournament location: Lake Hamilton HS, Pearcy, AR, Oct 25-27
5A
Conference tournaments:
5A East: Oct 17-20, location Forrest City HS, Forrest City, AR
5A Central: Oct 15, 18, 20, location Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock, AR
5A South: Oct 16-22, location TBA
5A West: Oct 17, 18, 20, Alma H.S. (?)
State tournament location: Valley View HS, Valley View, AR, Oct 25-27
4A
Conference tournaments:
4A Central: Oct 16-22, location TBA
4A NorthEast: Oct 16-22, location TBA
4A NorthWest: Oct 16-22, location TBA
4A West: Oct 16-22, location Mena HS, Mena, AR
State tournament location: Lonoke HS, Lonoke, AR, Oct 25-27
3A
Conference tournaments:
3A Central: Oct 16-22, location Conway St Joseph
3A North: Oct 16-22, location TBA
3A NorthCentral: Oct 16-22, location TBA
3A NorthEast: Oct 16-22, location TBA
3A South: Oct 16-22, location TBA
3A West: Oct 16-22, location TBA
State tournament location: Paris HS, Paris, AR, Oct 24-27
In 3A, 24 teams advance to the state tournament, the top 4 from each conference tournament.
In 4A, 16 teams advance to the state tournament, the top 4 from each conference tournament.
This does lead to a question - in 3A and 4A, it appears the conference tournament results will seed teams for the state tournament. In other words, the old district tournaments will no longer be held. Is that correct? I believe it is, but just wanting to double check...
4A West will be in Mena.
And I think you are right. Once the combined districts finish play, the respective schools split up into their regular conferences for the tournament.
Which has the potential to create a mess, with teams from at least two and maybe three combined districts having to be evaluated for conference tournament seeding. In the 4A West, teams from district 6 and district 10 have to be evaluated. Fortunately, many of these teams are playing each other in tournaments during the season so that may make it easier.
Bringing those conferences back together could indeed be a mess 1-Adam-12 - to be sure. Fortunately, it appears that all a team need do is finish in the top 4 of the conference tournament and it will earn a trip to the state tournament. So even if the seeding goes horribly wrong, one would hope the issue could be corrected on the court.
This does though bring up some interesting possibilities - how will a conference bracket their teams? Let's run through this for a moment...
6 teams: would likely give the 1 and 2 seeds a bye (in effect, a pass to the state tournament), then match up 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5. Could look like this:
1
4
5
3
6
2
so if teams seeded 3 through 6 win one match, they are off to state.
Eight teams? should be a simple 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 set up. Again, win one match and go to state.
Seven teams? Some may give the #1 seed a bye and play like an eight team bracket.
Five teams? (See the 5A South) Will they make 4 play 5 for the right to advance to state?
1
4
5
2
3
Nine teams (see 4A NorthWest and 3A Central)? An 8 vs 9 play in game, then the rest on an eight team schedule?
And as you note, this doesn't address the seeding of teams.
Lots of mess coming this year as we get close to the playoffs.
What we have usually done with a 7 team bracket is this:
1 and 2 get byes to the semifinals and the automatic state bid that goes with it.
6 plays 7, winner plays 3 for the right to go to state and that winner plays 2.
4 plays 5 for the state bid and then plays 1 in the semis.
I have seen it the way you mentioned as well.
Hopefully, with teams within our 4A conference playing each other in tournaments, when seeding time comes we'll have a good idea of who goes where.
We've already played in Mena's tournament which had all our conference teams except Bauxite, and we'll be playing in Fountain Lake's tournament which also has Arkadelphia, Ashdown and Malvern from our conference.
5A Central is 17-20 at LRCA.
Thanks Rocket23!
3A Central added.
5A Central changed. It begins Saturday, October 15th now. There will be four games played Saturday beginning at 10 am with last being played at 2:30; winners will two Tuesday at 5:00 and 6:30; two games Thursday at 5:00 and 6:30 with the late game being the championship game.
4A West had their meeting and they went about it a bit different than I expected.
Monday:
Game 1 5 Waldron vs 8 Bauxite (at Mena High School) 5 pm
Game 2 6 Malvern vs 7 Arkadelphia (at Mena Middle School) 5 pm
Game 3 4 Ashdown vs Waldron-Bauxite winner (at Mena High School) 7 pm
Game 4 3 Fountain Lake vs Malvern-Arkadelphia winner (at Mena Middle School) 7 pm
Tuesday (all from here on out are at Mena High School)
Game 5 1 Mena vs winner game 3 (5 pm)
Game 6 2 Booneville vs winner game 4 (6:30 pm)
Thursday
Game 7 Third place game 5 pm
Game 8 Championship game 7 pm
Also I heard that 4A NW is at Pea Ridge. Not for sure on that.
6A West is in Greenwood and starts today.