The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) has approved a major change to the high school basketball postseason format for the 2024-25 school year. The preliminary sectional round will be eliminated, and a new regional tournament format will be implemented.
Under the new format, existing sections in each region will be combined into a regional tournament. There will be two final games in each region, with the two champions from each of the four regions advancing to the state tournament. Teams in each region will be seeded by coaches’ balloting.
Additionally, higher-seeded teams may receive a first-round bye, depending on the number of schools in the region. The highest-seeded school in each game of the regional tournament will be the home team. The teams advancing to Charleston for the state tournament will be reseeded using the current coaches’ balloting system.
The new format will also apply to boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball in the upcoming season. Schools have already been paired up in their respective regions, with Buckhannon-Upshur, Elkins, Philip Barbour, and Tygarts Valley among the schools set to compete in their regions.
In addition to the changes in the basketball postseason format, the WVSSAC also approved modifications to the high school football rating system and competition rule for the 2024 season. Teams will now receive one bonus point for wins regardless of the opponent’s classification, and the game-shortening rule will take effect in the third quarter if a team has a 42-point lead.
These changes aim to enhance the competitiveness and excitement of high school sports in West Virginia for the upcoming season.