State title games to have a new home next year

Sacramento’s new Golden 1 Center, set to open in October, has been awarded the CIF state basketball championship games for 2017 and 2018.

The NBA arena for the Sacramento Kings is being built downtown and will have a seating capacity of 17,500, along with the NBA’s largest scoreboard.

The CIF has held the state championship basketball games in Sacramento for 19 of the past 35 years. It had opened up the tournament to bidding with the idea of giving Southern California a shot, but the decision to play in the new arena was made by the CIF Executive Committee.

“There are no words that can adequately express our appreciation of the Kings organization and their commitment to education-based athletics,” said CIF Executive Director Roger L. Blake in a statement. “We are thrilled that our student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans will have the opportunity to experience this new, state-of-the-art, world-class arena. Many former CIF athletes who have advanced to the NBA and WNBA still recall the excitement they felt the first time they stepped onto the floor at Arco/Sleep Train Arena for the CIF state championships.”

USC made a bid to use the Galen Center, but Blake said Sacramento’s bid was better financially.

Two years ago, USC was on the verge of winning the bid to host the state finals in 2015 and 2016 but withdrew, Blake said.

“CIF wants to develop a positive relationship with USC and UCLA,” Blake said. “It has to be cost affordable.”

This season’s state finals are set for Thursday and Saturday at Sleep Train Arena.

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