Missoula a Hot Spot for Montana High School Basketball This Week

From just down the street to nearly 350 miles away, 16 talented teams will be giving it their best in Missoula this week.

The University of Montana will play host to the 2024 Class AA Boys and Girls Combined State Basketball Tournaments this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 7-9, at the Adams Center. And UM staff will be doing their very best to make parking easier and more convenient for the thousands of fans expected to attend, as well as for those who would prefer to take the free bus shuttles to and from the arena.

It also looks like dry, favorable weather will grace Missoula those three days.

WHO'S IN?

The 8 Montana teams on the Boys' side are:

Billings West

Bozeman

Bozeman Gallatin

Butte

Great Falls CMR

Helena Capital

Missoula Hellgate

Missoula Sentinel

The Girls' field is represented by:

Billings Skyview

Billings West

Bozeman Gallatin

Great Falls CMR

Kalispell Glacier

Missoula Big Sky

Missoula Hellgate

Missoula Sentinel

FROM MORNING TO NIGHT, NON-STOP

The combined boys/girls tournament format features one game right after the other, starting at 9:00 a.m. Thursday and Friday with 8 games each day. Six games are on tap for Saturday, two of which will be played at Sentinel High School. Winners of those Saturday morning games move on to the third/fourth-place games Saturday afternoon.

State championship games are scheduled for 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday. You can view the Girls Tourney bracket here and the Boys Tourney bracket here.

FREE CAMPUS PARKING AND U-DASH SHUTTLES

Tournament fans can take advantage of free parking in the expansive P and P1 (disability spaces) lots in front of the Adams Center, and the smaller Lot Z on the north end of the Adams Center. Those lots are designated basketball tournament only parking areas.

Curbside parking all over the UM Campus is free as well, but that is not designated parking for tournament fans only and with classes in session, those spaces will be tough to get.

After 5:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and all day on Saturday, all parking is available.

The U-Dash bus service will also be operating to and from various locations around the city. You can get a better idea of schedules here.

TICKETS IN ADVANCE EASIER THAN TICKETS AT THE DOOR

The Admas Center and UM encourage fans to get tickets in advance if possible, to avoid potential long lines at the ticket windows. Ticket prices range from just $10/adult for a single-evening pass to $42/adult for an all-session pass. Student ticket prices are lower. All those details are shown on this page of the griztix.com website.

We hope you can be a part of the excitement and spirit generated by Montana high school basketball state tournaments!