Basketball tournaments face unknown future
Stu Clark Tournament canceled; other events likely to meet same fate
It was an announcement that came as no surprise to athletic directors and boys basketball coaches.
The Stu Clark Tournament, one of the oldest boys basketball invitational tournaments in the state, announced Wednesday its cancellation for the 202021 season. While the tournament was about to hit its 66th consecutive year of competition, it won’t be the only casualty.
The coronavirus pandemic caused the New Mexico Activities Association to restructure the athletic season, and one of the changes was the elimination of regular-season tournaments for all sports. While the news about the Stu Clark was disappointing to West Las Vegas athletic director Richard Tripp, whose school and Las Vegas Robertson help coordinate the tournament, he knew it was a pain shared by all schools that hold their own tournaments.
“It will be disappointing because, every year for three days, you could pass the time watching good, quality basketball,” Tripp said. “We know that it probably won’t be the last [tournament], but it’s a step back for us and Robertson because we miss out on three quality games, no matter where we fall in the tournament.”
What worries Tripp more, though, is the health of the school’s other tournament, the Brian Gallegos Shootout. Created in 2016, the round-robin boys and girls tournament fulfilled West Las Vegas’ desire to give both teams three competitive games over a weekend. The Brian Gallegos brought teams like Pecos and Albuquerque Bosque School, which both won boys state titles the year they won the tournament.
Newer, less-proven tournaments could very likely meet their downfall because of their lack of familiarity. However, regular-season tournaments in general could feel a crunch because of the unknown impact the pandemic could have on school budgets across the state.
Could that mean the end of tournaments like the Bobby Rodriguez Capital City Tournament, which was in its 62nd year last season, or Capital’s Al Armendariz Tournament, which was in its 22nd year?
“There are questions about whether or not tournaments should continue,” said Larry Chavez, the assistant superintendent of athletics/activities and school support for Santa Fe Public Schools. “It’s an item of discussion because of the cost of travel for some teams. There will be teams coming from a distance that will be staying overnight because they can’t travel back and forth, and you’re not sure how their budgets will look [for the 2021-22 school year].”
Kevin Garcia, the athletic director at St. Michael’s, said he was disappointed more for the school’s Lady Horsemen Christmas Tournament, which had made strides over the last few years to upgrade the caliber of teams. Garcia said this year’s tournament added Albuquerque St. Pius X, which has been traditionally strong in Class 4A, and Peñasco, which was the 2A runner-up in March, but he hopes the momentum it built won’t be lost in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Horsemen Shootout developed a reputation as a strong tournament that often brought in top teams in Class 4A. Garcia said tournaments might evolve into more regional affairs to help schools get games while also limiting the amount of travel to help cut costs.
Then again, the situation regarding high school athletics is so fluid, it is hard to pinpoint what might happen next.
“There is a lot we don’t know,” Garcia said. “I mean, back in February, this was nowhere on our radar. Things can change so fast.”