Saturday, May 03, 2025
57.0°F

Northwest Notes Feb. 25, 2021

| February 25, 2021 1:12 AM

Chiefs to open 24-game WHL regular season March 19

The Western Hockey League announced the complete U.S. Division schedule of games for the 2020-21 regular season, which is set to begin Thursday, March 18.

The WHL’s U.S. Division will open when the Tri-City Americans host the Portland Winterhawks in Kennewick, Wash., on March 18 before continuing on Friday, March 19 when the Seattle Thunderbirds host the Spokane Chiefs in Kent, Wash.

The Spokane Chiefs schedule can be found at spokanechiefs.com

As previously announced, the WHL’s U.S. Division will play all 2020-21 regular season games exclusively within the U.S. Division. The five U.S. Division teams — which also include the Tri-City Americans — will each play a 24-game schedule.

As of now, no spectators will be permitted to enter WHL facilities.

Fans can watch games across the whole league through the newly-launched WHL Live on CHL TV. More details are available by visiting watch.CHL.ca.

Tonight's Idaho women's game

called off due to COVID

MOSCOW — Tonight's scheduled women's basketball game between Idaho and Montana State will not be played due to COVID-19 protocols.

Adjusted dates and times for the series are being considered, but have not been finalized.

Tipoff for Saturday's

Cougar game moved

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pac-12 Conference announced that the Washington State-Arizona State game, scheduled for Saturday in Tempe, Ariz., will begin at 6 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.

The game is the first of two between the two teams, as the squads will face off again Monday at noon.

The games will close out the regular season for Washington State before participating in the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas March 10-13.

LC State selected as host site for NAIA basketball tourney opening rounds

Lewis-Clark State College was named as one of eight men's and women's sites for the opening rounds of the NAIA basketball tournaments.

LC State will host both men’s and women’s events on March 12 and 13 in the LCSC Activity Center.

Both LC State teams qualified for nationals.

In January, the National Administrative Council (NAC) approved a basketball measure that reduced the overall field size.

The basketball move will directly affect NAIA National Championship Opening Rounds, which will change from 16 four-team tournaments per gender to eight six-team (three-team pod) tournaments per gender.

Each opening round site will feature two three-team “pod” tournaments (per gender) in which the No. 1 seed will receive a bye. The Nos. 2 & 3 teams will play each other on day one, and will face the No. 1 seed in that pod for the championship. The winner of that final game will go to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in either Sioux City, Iowa (women) or Kansas City, Mo. (men).

Preference was given to hosts who could accommodate both genders due to the complexity of logistics of pre-championship COVID-19 testing, which will be a part of all 2021 NAIA championships. In 2022 the men’s and women’s championship will return to 64 team format with (16) regional opening round sites.

Ticket information will be released at a later date.