HumboldtSports Publishes Complete 2026 Dick Niclai Tournament Schedule

HumboldtSports this week published a complete schedule for the 2026 Dick Niclai Tournament, giving local fans a four-night bracket, first-round times and the venues that will host semifinals and championships. The posting fixes Monday matchups across the Big Five and Little Four and confirms that semifinals will be played at College of the Redwoods with finals at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Lumberjack Arena.

The boys side already saw a play-in result: Del Norte 70, Eureka 59. That win made Del Norte the Big Five #3 seed and set a Monday 7 p.m. trip to Arcata. Also Monday at 7 p.m., Little Four #3 Ferndale - which earned its berth by beating South Fork Friday night - travels to #2 Hoopa. On the girls side, HumboldtSports lists Del Norte at Eureka, 7 p.m., and Hoopa at Ferndale, 7 p.m. Monday.

Tuesday’s boys semifinals will be hosted at College of the Redwoods, with doors opening at 5 p.m. St. Bernard’s, the Little Four #1 seed, is scheduled to face the winner of Arcata vs Del Norte at 6 p.m., and Big Five top seed McKinleyville is scheduled to play the winner of Hoopa vs Ferndale at 7:30 p.m. Times‑Standard reporting adds that the tournament culminates with championship doubleheaders at Lumberjack Arena: girls tip at 6 p.m. and boys at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As HumboldtSports put it, "The four‑night tournament culminates with girls and boys championship games at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Lumberjack Arena."

The Niclai Tournament traces to a league postseason concept proposed in 1982. "In 1982, Niclai proposed a league postseason tournament, traditionally referred to as a 'Shaughnessy Tournament,' which was renamed in his honor after his death in 1996," HumboldtSports notes, a reminder of the event’s local pedigree and long-standing role in H‑DNL basketball.

A school schedule fragment that accompanied the posting lists the tournament block as 2/10-2/14 and names Hoopa staff as Varsity Coach: Norm Sotomayor, JV Coach: James Richardson, Freshman Coach: Steven Couch, Athletic Director: Mike Benbow and Principal: Dusty Rossman. That block is dated Revised 11/12/25; local athletic officials may finalize calendar confirmations as brackets settle.

For Humboldt County the Niclai is more than a string of games. Concentrated night sessions at Arcata, College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt will draw visitors across the North Coast, concentrating evening traffic and boosting restaurants and bars near the arenas. Monday’s results will determine the semifinal pairings that fans, parents and local businesses will follow through Tuesday and into Friday’s championship session. Expect bracket updates after Monday and semifinal logistics at College of the Redwoods, with championship tips at Lumberjack Arena closing the week. Photos accompanying the schedule include credit: Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Arcata’s Luke Lemke.