TICKETS – General admission tickets are $10.00 per day on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, general admission tickets are $12.00. There are no passes out during any session.
MEDIA – All media requesting credentials should complete the online media request form.
A live telecast/videostream or tape delay broadcast of any state tournament game is NOT permitted. Live video coverage of every state tournament game will be provided by the NFHS Network.
PARKING – All team buses will park at the loading dock at the South end of the Allen Arena, located off of Granny White Pike. Buses must be moved after each session.
Parking will be free of charge every day of the State Championships. Parking is available in various lots and parking garages on the Lipscomb Campus, however there will be several other events occurring on campus during the tournament. Lipscomb will be running shuttles from farther campus lots to the arena. They will also be running shuttles from the Woodmont Hills Church located at 3710 Franklin Pike. Spectators are encourage to park there and ride the shuttle.
TEAM ENTRANCE – Participating teams will enter Allen Arena at the loading dock located at the South end of the arena. This area can be accessed off of Granny White Pike and will be open two hours prior to the first game.
Sixteen cheerleaders will be admitted free. This includes 16 cheerleaders in uniform and one mascot.
TOURNAMENT PASSES AND COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS – All teams participating in the Basketball State Tournament will receive floor passes for their official team party. Your official team party consists of players who are listed on your line-up sheet and anyone that will be on your team bench (coaches, managers, medical personnel, etc.) In addition, each school will receive 15 complimentary tickets for the tournament session in which they are participating. For your first game, please email a list with the 15 names of individuals that you wish to receive the complimentary tickets to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 12:00 PM CST on Wednesday, March 1. This list will be available at the Pass Gate at the main upper level entrance. Please tell the individuals on this list that they can only gain entry in the arena at the Pass Gate on the upper level. Teams that do not email a list by this deadline will not receive any complimentary tickets for their first game. Please remember that everyone must have a ticket or arrive in the team party in order to enter the facility. Spectators with championship event cards will also need to enter at the Pass Gate.
All teams who win their first game will be given the 15 complimentary passes for their next game immediately following the contest in which they participate and win. These tickets will be given to the principal, athletic director, or coach.
ALL TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT WILL RECEIVE THE FLOOR PASSES UPON ARRIVAL AT THE TEAM ENTRANCE.
LINE-UP SHEETS – Line-up sheets must be completed and turned in at the team entrance gate when you arrive at the tournament site. Please make enough copies for use in all games in the tournament. List all players in numerical order. The starters should be listed first, followed by the non-starters.
The line-up sheet must be turned in at the team entrance gate prior to each game.
DRESSING ROOMS – Upon entering Allen Arena at the team entrance gate at the loading dock at the southeast corner, you will be taken to your dressing room. Even though your dressing room will be locked, we would strongly advise all valuables to be kept in a valuable bag and nothing left in the locker rooms that is of any value to participants or coaches.
BENCH AREA – There will be 16 chairs on each bench. Fifteen players may dress for the game. Anyone on the bench that is not a player in uniform must be wearing a floor pass. Chairs in the bench area are for the following only: players not participating, coaches who are full-time employees of your local board of education or are non-faculty coaches who are registered with TSSAA, students who are serving as managers or statisticians, and medical personnel. No one else will be allowed in your bench area. There will be one additional seat at the scorer’s table for your scorekeeper.
Water will be provided at each bench. However, you should bring your own towels for the bench area and also for use in the dressing room.
TEAM BENCH LOCATION AND BRACKETS – The top team in each bracket is the home team and will wear white jerseys. The bottom team in each bracket is the visiting team and will wear dark jerseys. As you stand at mid-court and face the scorer’s table, the home team bench will be on the right and the visiting team bench will be on the left. The game ball for the Girls’ Basketball State Tournament is the Wilson NCAA Official Game Ball WTB0701 and the game ball for the Boys’ Basketball State Tournament is the Wilson NCAA Official Game Ball WTB0700.
STARTING TIMES AND WARM-UPS – Please refer to the tournament bracket, which gives you the starting times for each game. No game will start earlier than the posted starting time.
Teams participating in the first game of each session may come on the floor no earlier than 30 minutes prior to the starting time. Each team is guaranteed a minimum of 15 minutes warm-up time.
Balls for warm-ups will be furnished. Only the two teams participating in a game may warm up prior to the game or at half-time of that game.
There is no warm-up in the auxiliary gyms at the Allen Arena.
GAME ADMINISTRATOR’S MEETING, NATIONAL ANTHEM, STARTING LINE-UPS – Prior to the starting time, there will be a game administrator’s meeting at the mid-court area with both head coaches, referee, head of security, and the game administrator. The game administrator will be responsible for the meeting. At five minutes prior to the starting time, the teams will go to the bench area and there will be the National Anthem and introduction of starting line-ups.
The National Anthem will be sung or played prior to the beginning of each day. In the championship games, the National Anthem will be sung or played prior to each game.
In all semifinal games, all players will be introduced. Substitutes will be introduced first and they are asked to go to the free throw line. Following the introduction of the substitutes from both teams, the starters will be introduced on an alternating basis. Each starter is asked to go to the mid-court area where they will shake hands with the starter that is introduced from the other team. Both starters will then go to the free throw line. Following the introduction of starters, the head coaches will be introduced. They are asked to meet in front of the scorer’s table, shake hands, and then return to their team huddles.
In the finals we will follow the same procedure, with the exception that the substitutes will not be introduced.
CHEERING SECTIONS – The cheering sections for each school will be in the end zone closest to your bench. We will need all schools to inform their students and fans of this area.
Cheerleaders will be on the floor in front of your cheering section.
Please inform your fans that following the game the cheering section for the next game will be moving into this area. We will need help from the administration of both schools as we move students in and out of the cheering sections.
ITEMS NOT PERMITTED AT THE STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT –
- Noisemakers (examples are, but not limited to, air horns, cowbells, sirens, clackers, jugs or milk cartons filled with rocks or pennies, etc.)
- Balloons
- Confetti
- Electrical Instruments
- Thudersticks
- Large signs or flags (There is very limited space in the Allen Arena for signs to be hung. The major area for the signs is at the top of the bleachers on the upper level. Signs may not be hung in any area that would interfere with the view of fans.)
- Powder
CHEERLEADERS – Sixteen cheerleaders, in uniform, and the cheer coach will be admitted at no charge at the players’ pass gate at sessions in which your team is playing. This is located on the loading dock at the South end of the Arena, off of Granny White Pike. Only 16 cheerleaders and one mascot may cheer on the floor. Any school bringing more than 16 cheerleaders should be prepared to purchase tickets for the additional cheerleaders.
The cheer coach and all cheerleaders are reminded that we expect them to set a positive tone for their cheering sections. A member of the TSSAA staff will meet with the cheerleaders and cheer coach prior to the start of their first game in the tournament.
If you wish to bring signs to be hung, you are reminded that there is a limited amount of space in the gymnasium for signs to be hung. They should be at the top of the bleachers on the concourse area and should, also, be taken down after every game. All signs should be of a positive nature.
In the cheering sections there can be no large hand-held signs or large flags, no confetti, no miniature basketballs to be thrown out, and no noisemakers.
The cheer coach and cheerleaders are reminded that a sportsmanship award will be given to the cheer squad that displays outstanding leadership during the tournament. This award is based primarily on the leadership given by the cheer squad, but also reflects the atmosphere as set by the coach, players, and fans.
PEP BANDS – Pep bands are permitted and are encouraged to attend. If your pep band is planning to attend, the faculty representative must contact Haley Davis at (615) 966-7106 prior to the game. In addition, each member of the band must purchase a ticket and a faculty representative must be present with the band. The band may play prior to the game, during time-outs, and between quarters. Electrical instruments may not be used.
Pep bands must be seated on the same side as the schools’ cheering section.
VIDEOTAPING – Each school will be allowed to have one representative tape during their game only. Video cameras on tripods may be set up on the East concourse in designated areas only. No tripods will be allowed in the stands or on the playing floor.
PRESS AREA AFTER GAME – Immediately following the game and congratulations to the opposing teams and coaches, please proceed immediately to your dressing room. This is a very critical time for coaches and their players to be together. We inform all radio stations that interviews will not be granted immediately following games at press row. After approximately four to five minutes, a member of our staff will bring you and the players requested to the media room. A member of our staff will notify you, as you leave the floor, of the players that have been requested by the media. In addition, you may bring any other players that you desire to the interview area.
Please recognize that this is a very important time in the educational process for all the student-athletes involved in our program, regardless of whether the team wins or loses. We ask all coaches to be aware that each coach will receive only a small amount of quotes in the morning papers, on radio, and on television. Please use the opportunity to say something positive about your student-athletes, your program, and high school basketball in the state of Tennessee.
We request that you wait until you get to the press area before granting any interviews. All media have been informed of this policy.
SPORTS MEDICINE – The Vanderbilt Sports Medicine staff will be present at all games and will be of assistance to you prior to the game. If you need players taped or wrapped, please bring the necessary tape or wrap.
PRACTICE – There shall be no practice at the Allen Arena prior to or during the State Basketball Tournament. There is to be no warm-up in auxiliary gyms at the Allen Arena.
HOSPITALITY SUITE – In past years, the hospitality suite has been furnished by Lipscomb University. This year, the Hall of Fame Room overlooking the Arena will be available only to participating coaches and administrators prior to, during, and after their game. Feel free to use this room to view the game. Drinks will be provided, but no meals will be served.
CONTACT INFORMATION – For questions concerning Allen Arena, directions to the facility, and parking, you may contact Haley Davis at (615) 966-7106.
