WATCH FINALS AT LIVEBASKETBALL.CA: Basketball Manitoba has announced the official schedules for the 2026 Junior High Basketball Championships, with games set to run from Monday, March 23 to Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Now entering its 30th year, the Junior High Basketball Championships have been a fixture of Manitoba’s school basketball calendar since 1996. The annual event, also known historically as the Junior High Invitational Tournament, brings together top junior high and middle school teams from across the province during the height of the March basketball season.
The Junior High Basketball Championships continue to serve as the year-end championship event for interested school-based teams from across Manitoba, offering student-athletes, coaches, schools, officials, and families an opportunity to close out the season in a competitive championship environment.
The 2026 event will feature 43 teams in total, competing in each of four divisions: Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Senior Boys, and Senior Girls. The Junior divisions are open to students in Grades 7 and 8, while the Senior divisions are open to Grade 9 athletes who are not playing at the Junior Varsity level.
Games will take place at Leila North School, Sisler High School, Maples Collegiate, Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute, and Tec Voc High School, with all championship finals scheduled to be played at Tec Voc High School. The divisional host sites for 2026 are Junior Girls at Maples Collegiate, Junior Boys at Leila North School, Senior Girls at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute, and Senior Boys at Sisler High School.
Teams that submitted applications for the tournament were seeded based on a combination of overall record, league record, tournament play, and strength of schedule.
Teams seeded first through fourth receive a bye into the second round, while teams seeded fifth through twelfth will compete in first-round play-in games. The tournament then continues in a single-game knockout format through to the finals. Play-in games are added as deemed appropriate by the Selection Committee.
Game times from Monday to Wednesday will be 4:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Championship day at Tec Voc High School will feature games at 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.
The championships will be played under current FIBA rules with MHSAA administrative guidelines. A 30-second shot clock and 10-second backcourt count will be used at all levels, and all divisions will use the 6.25-metre three-point line or the marked three-point line on the floor. Basketball Manitoba also continues to emphasize man-to-man defence in keeping with the spirit of the event, with no zone defences, zone presses, or match-up defences permitted.
Adult spectators will be charged a cash admission fee of $5 per day at host sites. Fans who cannot attend in person will be able to watch the finals live at livebasketball.ca.
Basketball Manitoba encourages teams, coaches, parents, and supporters to check the schedules regularly, as updates may occur. Full schedules and results for all four divisions are now available online.
For more information on the Junior High Basketball Championships, or to inquire about future host opportunities, contact Basketball Manitoba at info@basketballmanitoba.ca
