If you follow me on social media, specifically Twitter, I was pretty worked up on Monday night as I tried to get into the Division IV boys' basketball semifinals at Merrimack Valley High School.
I arrived approximately midway through the first of two semifinal games, hoping to see the end of the first game before the Littleton-Woodsville game as the nightcap. However, when I got there, there was a large crowd outside the locked doors and nobody was being allowed in, since the gym was at capacity.
It was a bit frustrating on my part. I understood the reasons, but there was a person standing next to me in the lobby at MVHS with a ticket for the first game who couldn't get in either. And my biggest issue was that there was nobody coming out to tell people what was going on inside. The first game went to double-overtime, meaning the folks with tickets to the second game were left standing around (many outside) for longer than expected, with no access to bathrooms after a two-hour drive from the North Country. To me, this was a problem.
However, I also understand the situation the NHIAA and the tournament hosts, Merrimack Valley, were in. By rule, they couldn't let anyone else into the gym and the only way to control that was to keep the doors locked. Better communication would've helped, but I do understand that they had to wait until the first game crowd was cleared out to let the second game crowd in.
Of course, a lot of people wondered why the game was held at Merrimack Valley to begin with. It's not a huge gym and the crowds for these games tend to be pretty large. The answer to the question is not as simple as one would think.
First and foremost, Merrimack Valley, like Newfound, which hosted the girls' semifinals, is a fairly central location, easily accessed off of Interstate 93 for teams coming from both the north and the south. That part makes perfect sense. They stepped up when other venues said they wouldn't host. They should be commended for that.
The bigger problem lies in that the NHIAA has not been able to get gym space from one of the best spots in the state to host such games, Plymouth State University. PSU is located right in the middle of the state, right off of Interstate 93, with a big gym, plenty of parking and a great atmosphere for the kids to play in. Before COVID, Plymouth State and Southern New Hampshire University were great spots to host tournaments, but since the pandemic, neither school has been willing to welcome the high school athletes back to their gyms. The University of New Hampshire, the biggest gym in the state, has given the NHIAA a single date so that the Division I and II championships can take place there, but they have also been reluctant to let the high school kids use the space. This includes for the swimming championships, which would have no home in the state with space for spectators if not for UNH.
The only one of the three state schools that has been happy to have the high school championships is Keene State, which hosted the D3 boys and girls last weekend. While it is a bit out of the way for much of the state, it is a great gym, with plenty of seating and parking and a pretty good atmosphere. And Colby-Sawyer came through with a gym to host the D4 championships this coming weekend.
From speaking to numerous people associated with the NHIAA, I know they want to be in Plymouth and they want to stay at UNH. In fact, they need to stay at UNH, as it is the only gym in the state able to hold all spectators that are expected at the DI boys' basketball finals. But for whatever reason, these schools seem reluctant to host the big high school events.
I don't understand the reasons why. These events are a great chance to showcase your school to hundreds of high school athletes in a short period of time. They get to see what the school has to offer and when it comes time for them to choose a school to attend, they might remember their time in the playoffs at your school. There's also a good chance to raise money through running concession stands and also to give students a chance to help manage events as part of their education. I see a ton of benefits for the colleges to host these events. And it would be great for the high school kids as well.
There are some great high school facilities throughout the state. Laconia High School has a fantastic stadium for hosting soccer or field hockey or football or lacrosse. Same thing for Bedford High School. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats offer their fantastic venue for the high school baseball championships every year. Pinkerton has a great gym for gymnastics, cheer and volleyball championships. But gyms that can handle such large events are few and far between and colleges not opening up their gyms to the high school championships is hurting the tournaments.
Sure, I was upset when I couldn't get into the gym on Monday night, but I also understood the situation the NHIAA was in. There was no perfect answer and everyone involved was doing the best that they could to manage the tough situation. Wouldn't it be great if PSU would allow the NHIAA tournament back to its gym so these problems can become a thing of the past?
Here's hoping it can happen. For everyone's benefit.
The Merrimack Valley gym was packed for both semifinal games on Monday night.
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