For the first time in its history, the UIL will not crown any state champions in boys basketball.
The UIL released a statement Wednesday, saying that teams that reached the state tournament will be recognized by the UIL, but won’t be considered state champions. The UIL announced April 17 that it was canceling the remainder of the 2020 spring sports seasons because of the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“While the UIL will not be crowning UIL Boys Basketball State champions this year, each remaining team will be recognized with a virtual awards presentation and will be receiving a UIL trophy with ‘UIL State Championships’ inscription, medals and some additional items to help commemorate their accomplishment,” said the statement that was provided by UIL communications coordinator Julia Atkins.
Atkins said she believes that each school will have its own virtual presentation on Zoom, but no dates have been determined for those.
“We are working with the schools right now to schedule those,” Atkins said. “Once we have more information and details on it, we’ll send out a link to the teams so that they can share with their communities.”
The UIL began crowning state champions in boys basketball in 1921. In 2009, the UIL suspended interscholastic competition for about two weeks because of an outbreak of the swine flu in Texas, but that year state champions were still crowned in all classifications for boys basketball.
This season, the state tournament was suspended March 12 after the Class A and 3A semifinals had been completed. Madison, which had six seniors on its roster, was one win away from its second straight Class 3A state championship after beating Coldspring-Oakhurst 90-73 in the semifinals at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Six other state tournament qualifiers from the Dallas area — Duncanville, Wylie, Lancaster, Mansfield Timberview, Argyle and Oak Cliff Faith Family — never got to play their semifinal game.
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