From January 21-25, the Owensboro Sportscenter will be hosting the Kentucky All “A” Classic State Basketball Championship. Owensboro Catholic boys’ and girls’ teams will be representing the local area in the tournament.
The boys’ and girls’ basketball championships are two of the five All “A” state events that are currently hosted in Owensboro, along with the organization’s volleyball, baseball, and softball championships. The organization and its competitions currently consist of member schools whose enrollment in the top four grades is 575 students or fewer.
For the 2025-2026 school year, there are currently 120 member schools. The 2025 basketball championships were held in Owensboro as well as both the Sportscenter and Brescia University playing host.
A year ago, Danville Christian Academy claimed both the boys’ and girls’ championships and will look to defend their titles. All “A” board member, Mike Reeves, and his team have been working closely with the Visit Owensboro team in planning the upcoming championships.
“We are very excited to be back in Owensboro.” Reeves said. “All “A” has an excellent partnership with both the CVB and the Sportscenter. We have been in Owensboro for quite some time with baseball and softball. The events are always very well organized, and the community does an excellent job of welcoming us in. The All “A” Classic provides students at smaller schools with the opportunity to play in a statewide event, and this city continues to be a great stage for them to receive the recognition they deserve.”
The Kentucky All “A” Classic was formed in 1980 as a basketball tournament for smaller schools across the state and has grown over the years. The organization now holds state championships in archery, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Cheerleading has become an integral part of the annual basketball Classic as all squads of the Sweet 16, held for both boys and girls, are invited to compete during the state finals in Owensboro.
“Visit Owensboro is excited to welcome five All “A” State Championships to town this year,” Lucas Daunhauer of the CVB’s sports operations said. “These events present great opportunities to student athletes across the state and allow them to make lifelong memories here in Owensboro.”
In 1999, the All “A” Classic expanded to further serve Kentucky small school students through scholarship awards to 12 individual students in the amount of $1,000 each. The All “A” Classic now offers approximately $100,000 annually for scholarships. Since its inception, the scholarship program has awarded nearly $2,500,000 to deserving high school seniors in All “A” schools.
Games tip off at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, January 21, and run through the weekend with the boys’ and girls’ championship games taking place on Sunday, January 25.
