CIF official addresses questions about 2026 state basketball tournament

The state basketball playoffs are set. 

After months of league games, showcases and a section postseason, the remaining teams will now fight to end their season at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, holding a state championship trophy. 

The brackets aren’t a perfect science and some teams will get a better draw than others. 

The CIF uses a competitive equity model for seeding that ranks teams from best to worst and divides them into separate divisions with the Open brackets being where the state’s strongest teams are placed.