Champ Series Basketball Playbook

The 2024 NIRSA National Basketball Championships will be held in Madison at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Campus, 1976 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706. Congratulations on being one of the teams that will be attending!

Tournament Schedule: The tournament schedule will be posted on IMLeagues Friday the 12th after team check in. Games will start at 1:00 pm Central Time on Friday with pool play. Teams will play two (2) matches on Friday and at least one match on Saturday (3 games guaranteed). The top qualifiers in each pool (varies depending on the division) will advance to playoffs on Saturday, and winners will advance to semi-finals and finals on Sunday. Final schedules will be as following: Women’s, Unified and Men’s. Games will begin roughly at 11:30am with the last final starting at 2:00pm.

Dropping from the tournament: Directors are aware that plans can change, so please inform us immediately if you are unable to attend. Teams that canceled after signing up may receive a sanction for future national tournaments. Best phone number to call or text will be: Nicole Jackson at 541-497-1649 or by email at [email protected].

Mandatory Team Check-in: Check-in is on Thursday, April 11th from 5:00-7:00pm CT at Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center 1976 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706. Only one person from each team needs to check in the team but ALL teams should be prepared for games at start at 1pm on Friday, April 12th. If you cannot make team check-in on Thursday contact Nicole Jackson at 541-497-1649 ASAP.

The following will be required at team check-in:

• Completed Player Certification form (Enrollment Verification)
• Cell number for team representative
• Verify the roster including light & dark jersey numbers
• Local lodging and transportation information for the team

Player Certification Form: Team captain should have received this form by email from Lauren Carlson, if you have not received it, please contact [email protected] or download the form from the website. This form is an important step in registration and must be signed by all players, sport club rep and university registrar to verify current enrollment. When you get your Player Certification form back from the registrar, please take a photo and email it to [email protected] along with roster of players with light and dark jerseys by Wed., April 10th at 11:59PM. Bring the original with you to Check-in.

Coaches & Captain’s Meeting: There will be two options to attend the Coaches and Captain’s Meeting. The meetings will be held on Friday, April 5th at 6:00PM EST and Monday, April 8th at 6:00PM EST. A Coach or Team Representative is required to attend 1 of the 2 meetings. Prior to or after that meeting if you have additional questions please contact Co-Tournament Directors Mike Castaneda and Bailey Kenney or NIRSA HQ Representative Lauren Carlson. The directors will also be at team check-in to answer any questions.

Courts: We will be using 12 different courts primarily at two locations. The Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center has 8 hardwood courts, and the Nicholas Recreation Center has 8 hardwood courts. Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center will be utilized for all Championship Games.

Photo ID required: Each player is required to show their photo ID before each game. A player is permitted to use a University ID, Driver’s license/State ID or passport. No photographs of IDs will be accepted.

Tournament Results: Daily results of the championships will be posted on IMLeagues. You can also follow @NIRSAchamp or #NIRSABB for the Twitter and Instagram fans. The final games will be livestreamed on the NIRSA Championship Series YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3S9IKrPyg-AiBd7OOniozw

Water on site: There are water fountains/water fill stations near each court. We will not have water coolers at every court. Bring your own water bottle, as no cups will be provided. Teams are encouraged to bring their own water to venue.

Team Uniforms: Be sure that the numbers on all players’ uniforms are consistent with numbers submitted on the team registration form, particularly in switching from light to dark uniforms. All teams are required to have matching light and dark uniforms, with no duplicated numbers. All jersey numbers must be permanently attached to the jersey.

Inclement weather: Please note that the tournament format, number of games, and game length may change due to a team not showing up or forfeit games.

Concessions: No concessions will be sold on-site, however, look for local restaurants and dining options on campus in your team packet.

Hotels: Check for a hotel list on the National Basketball Webpage.

Transportation: Teams are responsible for their own transportation to and from the hotels/airport/courts. Plan your departure time from your hotel accordingly considering morning traffic/parking issues.

Parking: Parking on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus is paid parking. Please visit HERE to view the University of Wisconsin – Madison parking facilities.

Athletic Trainers: There will be athletic trainers available on site during the tournament. Players must bring their own pre-wrap and tape for preventative taping. Tape will NOT be available for purchase.

Awards: All 1st and 2nd place teams will receive awards as well as the All-Tournament Teams and MVPs for each division. A Team Sportsmanship plaque will be awarded to a men’s, a women’s team, and a unified team. The award presentation will immediately follow each final game.

Referees: Referees for the Championships are chosen through participation in the NIRSA Regional Basketball Championships. Referees are selected by being recognized as one of the top officials at the Regional they attend and officiate at or through an At-Large Application. Officials will utilize 3-person officiating mechanics for the duration of the tournament.

Rules of Play: The tournament will use modified NFHS rules, you can download HERE or view them on IMLeagues.

Basketball Ball: We will be using Wilson Evolution Basketball for the game ball the entire tournament.

Evaluations: All participants will be invited to complete an online tournament evaluation.

Spectator Fee: Please inform family and friends coming to Madison that we will have an admission fee for all spectators ($10 per day or $25 for the weekend). Players and coaches will be given passes during team check-in.

Skills Contest: Be on the lookout for the skills challenge with prizes to be offered on Friday and Saturday afternoon, more information will be available at tournament desk. Open to all rostered players.

Code of Conduct: Please remind all players they signed a Code of Conduct. Remember you are representing your school. Respect the quiet hours at the hotel and practice positive sporting behavior on the court.

Sporting Behavior Statement: We wholeheartedly embrace the position that, for positive sporting behavior to prevail, coaches, student-athletes, and fans must display respect, fairness, civility, honesty, and responsibility before, during, and after all athletic contests. The NIRSA Championship Series is committed to holding tournaments in a safe and inclusive environment free from bullying. Offensive language including profanity and/or derogatory remarks of any kind directed at officials, event staff, student-athletes, coaches, or team representatives will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal from the competition site.

Thanks to the our Regional and National Stakeholders Region I: Boston College – Shane Conti; Region II: Ole Miss – Amanda Alpert & Gabby Sokol, GA Tech – Greg Durham, Duke University – Laura Shively & Brittany Burriss, Region III: Purdue University – Jason Maynard, Paden Alie & Keith Woolems, Region IV: Missouri – Columbia – Ethan Cobb, Region V: Nebraska – Lincoln – Aaron Dueker & Heath Howard, Region VI: Utah State University – Bailey Adams, Kayla Irlbeck, University of Oregon – Nikki Vance, National Tournament Co – Directors –Mike Castaneda, Abby Van Note & Bailey Kenney, National Directors of Officials: Marty Dempsy, Brandon Bermea & Klee Sellers, National Directors of Tournament Experience: Eric Vaughn & Chris Spencer, National Directors of Competition: Cater Kittrell & Wyatt Lee, National Directors of Media Relations – Venus Okwuka & Megan Brady, National Directors of Unified Sports – Brittany Mueller & Laura Shively, NIRSA HQ – Nicole Jackson & Lauren Carlson

Thanks to the University of Wisconsin – Madison and their student and professional staff for hosting.