(Last updated 2/8/26 @ 3:30 pm)
We are looking forward to seeing all of you at the 2026 TAIAO Basketball Championship Tournament starting with regional play on 2/5/26 and 2/6/26
TOURNAMENT LOCATIONS:
South Regional 2/5/26 and 2/6/26
Mission Conception Sports Complex
714 E Theo Ave
San Antonio, TX 78210
North Regional 2/5/26 and 2/5/26
Game On Sports Complex
2600 Alemeda St
Fort Worth, TX 76108
State Final Tournament (Day 1) 2/13/26
Legends Event Center
2533 Midtown Pk Blvd,
Bryan, TX 77801
State Finals Day 2, 2/14/26 (Finals & All Star)
Snook High School
10110 FM2155
Somerville, TX 77879
REGIONAL & DIVISION ASSIGNMENTS:
Regional team assignments can be viewed by clicking here. Divisions will be posted once we have received and verified all rosters.
GATE TIMES:
The gate will open at 7:30am for coaches and players and 7:40am for fans in both the North and South on both days.
ADMISSION:
Ticket sales will be conducted at the entry of each facility and can be purchased in advance Purchase State Finals Tickets. Daily admission will be $15 for adults and $10 for students (ages 5-18 children under 5 are free). Two day admission can be purchased for $25 dollars for adults and $15 for students. We will not be accepting cash.
Credit, Debit or Venmo are accepted.
If you would like to purchase a Family Pass for $80.00 (covers 2 adults and up to 5 children). Family Passes are available until January 31st at 10:00pm. You will need to make the payment at the time of filling out the form to receive the pass. Click here for family pass.
Coaches passes for the Regional can be submitted by athletic directors by clicking here.
Coaches passes for the State Tournament can be submitted before Wed Feb 11th @ 10pm by clicking here
BRACKETS & TIMES:
The schedule can be viewed online to both the North and South Regionals by clicking below
Direct Link to North (View Court Schedule)
Direct Link to South (View Court Schedule)
** Please note everyone plays only 2 games in pool play. Some brackets will include additional games. Only reference the games with times and courts on them:
Direct Link to State Finals (View Court Schedule)
TOURNAMENT SHIRTS/FAN GEAR:
Our shirt vendor will only be at the State Finals. However, you can order shirts online by clicking here
EMERGENCY TOURNAMENT CONTACTS:
** These contacts have no ability to change the schedules. Please contact them only the days of the event. These are emergency contacts, please DO NOT contact them for general information.
North Regional: Jaxon Medford text only (817) 682-5777
South Regional: Savannah Golemon text only (512) 988-3606.
State Finals: Savannah Golemon (512) 988-3606
TAIAO BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT RULES/GUIDELINES
GAME GUIDELINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- BASKETBALLS: All teams should bring their own basketballs for warm up. Home team will provide a 28.5 Women’s Game Ball for girls and a 29.5 Men’s Game Ball for Boys. Game officials will approve the Game Ball. In the event of a dispute the Game Official has the final say.
- HOME/VISITING TEAM: On the game schedule, the team listed second or on bottom of the bracket will be the home team and wear (light jerseys).
(JERSEYS: All teams should bring both “Home” (light colored) and “Away” (dark colored) jerseys.- SCORE BOOK/CLOCK KEEPER: Official Score Sheets will be provided for all courts by TAIAO, AND MUST BE USED. Please make sure all names are inputted correctly prior to game times.
- STAFFING: Home team will provide the Official Scorekeeper. Visiting team will provide a clock keeper. These should be staffed by someone with experience.
- TOWELS & WATER: All teams shall provide their own towels and water. OTHER THAN TEAM WATER BOTTLES, NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINKS ARE ALLOWED. COOLERS AND LARGE CONTAINERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE FACILITY.
GAME TIMES/RULES/PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
Official Clock Rules
Running Clock in the first half. Normal Clock in the second half unless Mercy Rule applies (see below).
- Varsity Men/Women – 8 min quarters
- Junior High Boys/Girls – 6 min quarters
Game Schedule
- Pre-game – 5 minutes (no less)
- Quarter Break – 1 minute
- Halftime – 3 minutes
- Timeouts – 3 60-sec, 2 30-sec per game
- Overtime – 2 minutes & 1 additional 30-sec timeout
- Additional Overtime(s) – 1 minute; no additional timeouts
Mercy Rule
Running clock continues in second half with a 25 point lead. Normal clock resumes once lead is back to 15 points or less.
GAME TIMES/RULES/PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
National Federation High School Rules will be in play with the following exceptions.
1. CLOCK: . At regionals, a running clock might be applied if a game is not over 60 minutes after it began with a stopped clock in the final minute. This is done to ensure all games are completed given we have a hard stop on access to the courts. Games will consist of 4 quarters with the following lengths: Varsity Men/Women – 8 min quarters; Junior High Boys/Girls – 6 min quarters. Normal clock rules will be used in the second half unless the Mercy Rule applies (see below) or the game time limits have been reached .
2. A player must only play on one team throughout the tournament.
3. DISPUTES: Any eligibility disputes must be made 20 minutes prior to the start of a game.
IMPORTANT GAME TIME CATEGORIES
1. WARM UP TIME: Teams will have a minimum of 5 minutes warm up time on court for each game. If the previous game is completed in time, additional warm up time may be added. Games will not start earlier than scheduled.
2. HALFTIME: Half time will be 3 minutes.
3. OVERTIME: First overtime will be 2 minutes, and each team will be awarded 1 additional 30-sec timeout. Additional overtime(s) will be 1 minute, and no additional timeouts will be awarded.
4. TIME OUTS: Each team will have 3 60-sec (full), 2 30-sec timeouts per game.
5. EXIT COURT: Teams will have 2 minutes at the end of a game to exit the court. After game meetings shall be held away from the court.
6. MERCY RULE: If a team has achieved a 25-point lead, running clock continues in second half except for timeouts. Normal clock resumes once the lead is back to 15 points or less.
7. SPORTSMANSHIP: All players, coaches and fans are expected to exhibit good sportsmanship. Fans that heckle opposing players or game referees may be subject to removal.
TAIAO REGIONAL TOURNAMENT FORMAT
DIVISIONAL BREAKDOWN:
- There will be two Varsity Boys and Middle School Divisions. (Division 1 will be the higher or more competitive division)
- There will be one Varsity and Middle School Girls Division.
- All divisions will be grouped into pool play depending on the number of teams within each division. (All pool play will be completed on Thursday February 5th, 2026.)
- At the conclusion of pool play, all teams will be seeded into bracket play on Friday February 6th, 2024 based on pool play results.
- Tie breaking procedures within pools are in the following order:
- Head-to-head competition between the teams tied.
- If head-to-head competition does not break the tie, then point differential between all teams within the pool will be used to determine seeding. will be used to break the tie. A 15-point max margin per game, for all pools games, will be used to determine seeding.
- If point differential does not break the tie, the total points allowed between all teams within the pool will be used to determine seeding.
- If points allowed does not break the tie, a coin flip will be administered.
- Bracket play will be a single elimination format.
STATE TOURNAMENTS SEEDING
- Both division I and division II Men’s will take the top four seeds to the state championships.
- Women’s high school will take the top four seeds to the state championships.
- Regional championship game will determine the number 1 and 2 seeds. Third place game winner will determine the number 3 and 4 seeds.
- All state brackets/venues with North and South seeding have been published on the taiao.org website.