High school basketball fans in Lubbock are guaranteed to have marquee playoff games in their backyard this season.
The UIL will have predetermined sites for the state semifinals for the first time since moving to a split-division postseason in 2024. The past two seasons, semifinalists were tasked with finding a neutral site.
Prior to that, the semifinals and championships were held the same week at the same venue.
Frenship's Tiger Pit will host both divisions of the Class 1A semifinals between Region I and Region II in boys and girls basketball. Lubbock Christian University's Rip Griffin Center will be those regions' site for both divisions of 2A girls.
Frenship ISD athletic director Bryan Gerlich said the UIL gauged the district's interest because
of the centralized location between the regions. Frenship Memorial hosted last season's girls semifinal between Panhandle and Cisco, in addition to the boys semifinal between Jayton and Whitharral.
Gerlich said the Tiger Pit's capacity is around 1,000.
"We get great crowds," Gerlich said. "We've hosted some games where we've filled up the Tiger Pit before with some of those Class A schools. They're a lot of fun."
UIL BASKETBALL STATE SEMIFINAL SITES FOR 2026-27
GIRLS
Class 1A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Frenship
Region III vs. Region IV — Little River Academy
Class 2A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Rip Griffin Center, Lubbock
Region III vs. Region IV — Waco Midway
Class 3A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Moody Coliseum, Abilene
Region III vs. Region IV — Merrell Center, Katy
Class 4A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Wichita Falls Legacy
Region III vs. Region IV — Austin Vandegrift
Class 5A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Thomas Coliseum, Haltom City
Region III vs. Region IV — Berry Center, Cypress
Class 6A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, Fort Worth
Region III vs. Region IV — Delmar Fieldhouse, Houston
BOYS
Class 1A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Frenship
Region III vs. Region IV — Little River Academy
Class 2A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Moody Coliseum, Abilene
Region III vs. Region IV — Waco Midway
Class 3A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Melissa
Region III vs. Region IV — Merrell Center, Katy
Class 4A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Wichita Falls Legacy
Region III vs. Region IV — Austin Vandegrift
Class 5A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Thomas Coliseum, Haltom City
Region III vs. Region IV — Campbell Center, Houston
Class 6A (Division I and Division II)
Region I vs. Region II — Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, Fort Worth
Region III vs. Region IV — Delmar Fieldhouse, Houston
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: These Lubbock-area venues will host UIL state semifinals in basketball
