2026 State Basketball Event Guide

2026 Tennessee State Basketball Event Guide March 6-7, 2026

Table of Contents Games Information General Information Event Schedule Special Olympics Tennessee Policies Meals, Travel, and Housing Weather Policies Maps

Games Information Dates Friday, March 6th: Delegation Check-In, Opening Ceremonies presented by Lifepoint Health, Traditional & Unified Competition Saturday, March 7th: Traditional & Unified Competition, Healthy Athletes Screenings, Junior Athletes Showcase

Locations Lipscomb University - 1 University Park Dr, Nashville, TN 37204 ●​ Allen Arena ●​ McQuiddy Gym ●​ Student Activities Center (SAC)

Assessment Information Head of Delegation, Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Athlete, & Unified Partner - $15 ●​ Includes Friday Dinner and Saturday Lunch

Coaches Informational Call An informational zoom call for all coaches and HODs will take place at 6pm CST on Thursday, February 26th. A link to the meeting will be sent out at a later date.

Medical/Emergency Information There will be medical personnel located on-site in Allen Arena and the SAC. All HODs will receive a paper copy of the written Emergency Action Plan upon delegation check-in.

In case of emergency, please immediately notify Event Operations at (615) 567-3136.

General Information Healthy Athletes Healthy Athletes will offer health screenings for all athletes and Unified partners.

Participants are encouraged to go through the screenings in order to stay healthy and compete at an optimal level. The following disciplines will be offered: ●​ Opening Eyes ●​ Health Promotions Sign up here for a screening time slot before you get to Lipscomb.

There will also be Health partners and vendors set up during the Healthy Athletes screenings on Saturday for delegations to receive further health education.

Equipment Requirements Equipment necessary for competition will be provided at each venue. All athletes and Unified partners should be in competition appropriate attire. Jeans, cowboy boots, sandals, crocs, or any open-toed shoes are not appropriate for competition and cannot be worn. All non-medical jewelry, including watches, must be removed during competition. ●​ Basketball: teams must be in matching uniform sets following the SOTN Basketball Rules Equipment and Uniform guidelines. Uniforms must have the same top and bottom, but the color does not need to match (e.g. white tops with black bottoms). Teams may not, however, designate dark color shorts and have members wearing different colors (e.g. black and navy blue).

Athlete Leadership Special Olympics Tennessee Athletes will be taking on leadership roles throughout the entirety of State Basketball in roles such as: ●​ Healthy Athletes administration ●​ Awards support ●​ Hospitality ●​ Media support ●​ Event management and administration An athlete DOES NOT need to be competing in a sport to register for State Fall Games Athlete Leadership.

Event Communication All HODs and coaches with valid cell phone numbers will be added to the event text chain. All event and necessary emergency updates will be sent via this text chain. Each delegation is responsible for getting the information sent to their participants, families, and spectators.

Credentials All delegation members will be provided with credentials. All delegation members are expected to always wear the credentials, except during competition. The credentials provide you with access to the Lipscomb dining facility.

Physicals Each Head Coach must have copies of their athletes’ physicals on hand, either in paper or a digital copy, throughout the entirety of the Games.

Event Schedule Friday, March 6 12:00pm-2:00pm: Delegation Check-In; SAC Lobby 2:00pm-2:30pm: HOD/Coaches Meeting; SAC Lobby 2:45pm-3:15pm: Opening Ceremonies, presented by Lifepoint Health; Allen Arena 4:00pm: Competition Begins; SAC, McQuiddy Gym, Allen Arena 5:00pm-8:00pm: Dinner Window; Lipscomb Dining Hall 5:30pm-8:00pm: Merchandise Sales; Allen Arena North Concourse

Saturday, March 7 8:30am: Competition Starts; SAC, McQuiddy, Allen Arena 9:00am-4:00pm: Healthy Athletes Screenings; Allen Arena South Concourse 10:00am-2:00pm: Merchandise Sales; Allen Arena North Concourse 10:45am: Junior Athletes Showcase; McQuiddy Gym 11:00am-2:00pm: Lunch Window; Lipscomb Dining Hall 3:00pm: Awards Begins; Allen Arena South Concourse

Special Olympics Tennessee Policies Alcohol & Smoke Policy There is absolutely no consumption of alcohol beverages or smoking, vaping, chewing or use of tobacco products allowed at any time during a Special Olympics event.

Pool & Hot Tub Policy All recreational swimming in pools or hot tubs is strictly prohibited while participating in any Special Olympics event, including travel to and from that event.

15-Passenger Van Policy Special Olympics prohibits the use of 15-passenger vans for transportation to and from any Special Olympics event.

Class A Forms All coaches, Unified partners over the age of 18, and any other members that travel with the delegation must submit a Class A form.

Coaching Requirements Coaches need to be up to date on the following: ●​ Class A ●​ Protective Behaviors ●​ Concussion Training ●​ Coaching Special Olympics Athletes ●​ Unified Training (if applicable) ●​ Sport-Specific Training

Meals, Travel, & Housing Meals Meals will be provided for all registered delegates for specific meals. Those meals are Friday dinner and Saturday lunch. All meals will be in the Bennett Campus Center’s Dining Hall.

Travel Programs are responsible for all travel arrangements and expenses for their delegations to and from the Games. Please notify Jeff if any part of the delegation is running late at any time to the Games.

Housing Programs are responsible for all housing arrangements and expenses for their delegations.

Weather Policies Heat Policy SOTN’s heat policy is determined by the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). WBGT considers ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, direct sunlight, and cloud cover.

Wet Bulb Glove Temperature Policy ●​ Located in Category 3, SOTN will utilize the chart below for decision-making. ●​ Once the Threat Level has reached Extreme, all competition will immediately be stopped, and an evacuation will be prompted.

Cold Policy Cold exposure is an unavoidable part of sports, especially with those that participate in outdoor sports during the fall and winter months. The following guidelines will be used in planning activities depending on wind-chill temperature. ●​ 30 Fahrenheit and below: Be aware of the potential for cold injury. ●​ 25 Fahrenheit and below: Additional protective clothing, covering as much exposed skin as practical. Access to facilities for re-warming provided. ●​ 20 Fahrenheit and below: The Games Committee will assess the situation as the temperature drops. The committee will ensure that athletes’ health and safety is at the forefront of any decision made regarding cold temperatures.

Weather Policies Lightning Policy ●​ Lightning within 10 miles will immediately stop competition and prompt an evacuation of the facility. ●​ A 30-minute timer starts once play has been suspended; the timer resets every time a new strike occurs within 10 miles. Once the timer reaches zero, teams, coaches, spectators, officials & employees will be instructed to re-enter the facility to resume competition as soon as possible. ●​ Not all lightning that is visually located is close enough to prompt a stoppage of play and evacuation of the facility.

One air horn blast signifies immediate evacuation to safe spaces. Two air horn blasts signify resumption of competition.

Maps Lipscomb University

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