The AVCTL/GWAL Challenge won’t be at Koch Arena in 2019
Some Wichita high school basketball fans will have to make other weekend plans.
The AVCTL/GWAL Challenge, an event that has become a staple of the season, won’t be inside Koch Arena in 2019, said J Means, City League athletic director. The Wichita State women’s basketball team hosts Memphis Jan. 12, one of the three days the challenge is held.
With the news, Means said he spoke with AVCTL athletic directors and came to an agreement in late October that the nine suburban schools involved would host. Although the two leagues will still fight for bragging rights, fans can’t watch all of the games in one seat. But Means said that isn’t the hardest part for him.
The challenge has added three teams starting 2019. Arkansas City, Hutchinson and Salina South are out. Campus, Eisenhower and Newton are in.
“The big attraction is not that it’s two leagues playing each other,” Means said. “It’s that you’re playing in Koch Arena. If I was a kid today, I’d love to be able to do that. So No. 1, I felt bad that those seniors at those three new schools don’t get that chance.”
The move out of Koch Arena is temporary, Means said. When the Shockers’ conference schedule came out in late September, and Means learned his dates wouldn’t be available, he started thinking of solutions. He thought of several but one stood out with a bit of added benefit.
The challenge will be moved up to the second Thursday-Saturday of December starting next year before the Shockers’ conference schedule begins, Means said. The AVCTL/GWAL Challenge has locked in those dates for the next two years, he said.
“I was hoping it would open up the season, but this works out,” he said. “It will still be an early season showcase.”
The change for 2019 isn’t easy though, Means said. Selecting the matchups drew in questions of whether the boys and girls teams would play the same opposing school. Historically, the challenge has split the boys and girls matchups based on early-season success. Means said to help save on travel, both teams will play at the same site.
AVCTL/City League Challenge Matchups
Thursday
- Wichita Heights at Derby
- Newton at Kapaun Mt. Carmel
- Wichita Southeast at Andover Central
Friday
- Wichita Northwest at Goddard
- Wichita South at Maize South
- Bishop Carroll at Maize
Saturday
- Wichita North at Andover
- Wichita East at Campus
- Wichita West at Eisenhower
All girls games are set to start at 6 p.m. with the boys games to follow. The North-Andover and West-Eisenhower girls games will begin at 5 p.m.
Means said jumping on any chance he could get to bring the challenge back to Koch Arena was a priority. With WSU’s agreement, he said that was a weight lifted off his shoulders.
“It became if we move out this year and I don’t get Wichita State in the future, how much longer do we do it?” Means said. “While I still love the concept, the attraction we would have lost. But this way, it’s just a one-year thing.”
This story was originally published January 3, 2019 at 1:40 PM.