Bismarck to host 2027 girls state basketball tournament after Jamestown dispute

Jamestown will lose one of its biggest sports weekends in 2027, and with it the visitor traffic, hotel nights, local spending and community spotlight that came with the Division A girls basketball state tournament. The North Dakota High School Activities Association approved Bismarck’s Bavendick Center on the campus of Bismarck State College as the 2027 site, shifting the tournament away from Jamestown after a dispute over hotel rooms and room rates.

The tournament is set for March 4-6, 2027, and the move closes the door on another marquee event for Stutsman County after the 2026 girls tournament was held at the Jamestown Civic Center in March. Jamestown still remains on the rotation for the Division A girls tournament in 2030 and 2031, but the 2027 switch means the city will have to wait longer to regain the economic and civic boost that comes with hosting the event.

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said some hotels canceled reservations teams had made with credit cards, creating a bad impression after volunteers and organizers had put significant work into making the tournament a success. He said the Kindred girls team ended up staying in a private residence because of the lodging problems, a stark reminder that the issue was not just about convenience but about how Jamestown handled a high-profile state event.

Pam Fosse, director of the Jamestown Civic Center, said the tournament has an economic impact of more than $1.5 million in Jamestown. She said Fairfield Inn charged $300 to $400 per night during the March 5-7 tournament, and that some reservations were made through third-party sites such as Hotwire and Expedia. Fosse also stressed that the problems did not involve every hotel, saying some properties were cooperative and supportive.

The fallout reached beyond a single tournament weekend. After the event, Jamestown officials met with hotel managers to discuss a preferred-partners list, room-rate caps, clearer cancellation policies and better communication for future events. At the same time, the city continued investing in the Civic Center, including a new sound system that was recommended in June 2024 and later approved for $98,300 from Civic Center city sales-tax funds. Fosse said other upgrades, including a new court, lockers, media tables and railing work to meet ADA requirements, were part of the effort to keep Jamestown competitive for major tournaments. For now, the 2027 loss is a warning that the city’s reputation as a host will depend as much on hospitality outside the arena as on what happens inside it.