When the NCHSAA decided to bring its Western Regional basketball tournaments to Winston-Salem in 2004, it did so with the intent of making it a long stay.
But the run has ended after five short years.
The tournaments are leaving Winston-Salem and moving to Greensboro starting in 2009, sources have told the Winston-Salem Journal.
One source said that at least some regional games -- if not all -- would be played at the Greensboro Coliseum but that some also could be played at colleges in Greensboro.
Andrew Brown, the public-relations manager of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, responded to an e-mail yesterday asking about a move to Greensboro by returning a prepared statement.
"Working in conjunction with Greensboro Sports Commission, the Coliseum Complex has submitted multiple proposals to host a variety of NCHSAA events," the statement said. "Any official announcement regarding future NCHSAA events being held at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex would need to come from the NCHSAA."
The Western Regionals feature the last four surviving boys and girls teams from Western North Carolina in four classifications and are the last step of the playoffs before the state-championship games.
Que Tucker, the deputy executive director of the NCHSAA, said yesterday that "in all likelihood" the Western Regionals are leaving Winston-Salem and that a contract with another city is pending. She declined to reveal the city.
"We have not signed a contract to that effect," Tucker said in a telephone interview. "Nothing has been put in writing as to where the Western Regional will go. It's still up in the air at this point. We anticipate finalizing that in the next day or two.
"But a contract is pending."
Bucky Dame, the director of Joel Coliseum, said he knew that the NCHSAA was looking at other locations.
"Obviously we worked hard to get it and try to keep it here," Dame said. "If it looks like it's leaving, it's something we don't want to see happen, but the high-school association has to make their decision, and we have to make ours, and everyone is making a business decision here."
Dame said that the coliseum is under contract for the NCHSAA individual wrestling championships in February. The wrestling championships have been at the coliseum since 2003.
The Western Regional basketball tournaments were played in the Hickory area for 22 seasons, but the NCHSAA said after the 2003 season that the tournaments had outgrown the venues there. The association announced in June 2003 that the regionals were moving to Winston-Salem, and from 2004 until 2007, nearly every game was played at Joel Coliseum or the Coliseum Annex.
However, the Greater Winston-Salem Sports Commission -- which was instrumental in bringing the tournaments to Winston-Salem -- was dissolved in February.
Without the $35,000 that the commission paid to the NCHSAA to guarantee the arenas, games were moved from the Coliseum and the annex. Last season, semifinal games were played at North Forsyth and Atkins high schools and only the regional finals were played at the Coliseum and the Annex.
Tucker said that an official announcement about the next regional site could be made this week.
■ Mason Linker can be reached at 727-7324 or at mlinker@wsjournal.com.
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