BIRMINGHAM – The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s 105th State Basketball Championships roll into the BJCC’s Legacy Arena next week, bringing 56 teams to the Magic City with the chance to realize the dream of winning a state championship.
While the championship chase takes center stage, the event also carries a major economic impact for the Birmingham metro area. The AHSAA State Finals generated $4,341,119.00 in direct economic impact for Jefferson County in 2024, according to the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the GBCVB anticipates a similar economic impact for the 2025 event.
“The AHSAA has long been known for having first-class championship events, and a perfect example is the State Basketball Championships tournament in Birmingham,” AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon said. “It’s gratifying to understand the huge economic benefit the tournament has for Birmingham and the entire metro area.”
The AHSAA, which hosted its first state basketball tournament in 1921 at the Birmingham YMCA, created the current basketball tournament format in the mid-1990s, placing the girls’ and boys’ basketball semifinal and championship games at the same venue for a weeklong event. Each day’s schedule features alternating boys’ and girls’ games. It was a revolutionary concept because most state associations separated the boys’ and girls’ basketball championship venues.
The AHSAA’s pioneering decision to play both tournaments simultaneously essentially put the girls’ and boys’ title games on equal footing, while also enjoying the added benefit of increased press coverage by virtue of playing at a single centralized location. Following the AHSAA’s lead, many other states have adopted a similar concept.
“The AHSAA basketball championship event has long been considered a signature event on the local sports calendar, and it’s important to recognize and acknowledge the major economic benefit it has for the entire community,” said David Galbaugh, vice president of sports sales and marketing for GBCVB.
Fifty-six teams from every corner of the state converge on the Magic City for this week’s tournament, bringing coaches, players and fans to stay in hotels, eat at restaurants and spend money throughout the metro area. There’s also the added functionality of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) and Uptown Entertainment District sitting within the BJCC complex, giving teams and fans an easy outing within walking distance of Legacy Arena.
“The AHSAA State Finals basketball tournament has become a must-attend event for sports fans in the Magic City,” said ASHOF Executive Director Scott Myers. “The AHSAA puts on a first-class event that’s amazing for coaches, players and fans, and we routinely welcome teams to the Hall of Fame before, during and after each day’s games. It’s important to know the tournament pours more than $4 million in the local economy.”
All games will be live streamed by the NFHS Network over its subscriber-based platform, and all championship games will be televised live over Alabama Public Television – making the games available statewide. The AHSAA Radio Network will also broadcast all 42 games statewide over its network.
