Behind the Scenes of Creating a Competitive Varsity Basketball Game Schedule

I will outline my approach to creating a high school varsity basketball game schedule.

1. Begin by Blocking Dates

   1. Identify obvious holidays when games won't be scheduled.

   2. Consider school holidays when games won't be scheduled.

      1. Include any community events your district wants to avoid scheduling games on.

      2. Discuss priority dates for the girl's program (such as their tournament).

   3. Note post-season tournament dates (District, Regional, Sub-State, State Tournament, etc.).

   4. Block days you prefer not to play on

      1. Some coaches prefer the traditional Tuesday - Friday schedule, avoiding Saturday games.

      2. Some districts prohibit Sunday practices, so Monday games are avoided.

2. Schedule your "Must Play" games

   1. In Kentucky, these are District games. Regular season records determine seeding for the District Tournament. Winning the first District game is crucial for Regional tournament qualification, so scheduling these games carefully is key.

   2. Schedule the second year of games that are part of a two-year contract.

3. Reserve dates for any tournaments or classics you host. We hold a 16-team Pre-Christmas Tournament annually and a Prep Showcase on the second Saturday of January each year.

4. Reserve dates for a Pre-Christmas or Post-Christmas Tournament. Also, reserve dates for an early season Classic you wish to participate in. You know when events occur in your state, so block these dates until you find suitable events.

5. Depending on your team, schedule 10% - 30% of games against strong opponents. If rebuilding and young, aim for 10%. If talented and experienced, consider 30% against teams with State Tournament potential. With talented teams, in a 30-game regular season (KY plays more than most states), we played 8-10 games against potential Regional Tournament winners.

6. Depending on your team, schedule 10% - 30% of games against teams you should beat, even on the road. Though hard to define, you know which teams fit this category, so schedule them. A side note: you haven't coached until you're the team everyone wants to schedule for this reason.

7. Schedule pre-season scrimmages. Coordinate with your middle school program and turn a scrimmage into a fundraiser. For example, on November 15th, we're hosting a varsity at 6:00pm in our Arena, however we are starting earlier with 6th, 7th, 8th, Freshman, and JV games. This connects stakeholders in your District-wide program as the season begins.

8. Freshman / Junior Varsity games

   1. Block some Saturdays for FR or JV triangles, allowing developmental teams to play two games in one day. Arrange home-away agreements with another school for these triangles, yielding four games on two dates. We aim for at least two of these.

   2. Note which Varsity games include JV games beforehand (JV/V Double Header).

   3. Schedule FR/JV Double Headers on non-varsity dates, preferably Mondays and Wednesdays in our program.

   4. If you have opponents that are nearby, try scheduling a triple header (Freshman, Junior Varsity Varsity). Our closest District opponent is 15 miles away. We play a FR game at 5:15, a JV game at 6:30, and our varsity game around 7:45.

   5. Side note: we have 26 Junior Varsity games and 23 Freshman games scheduled this year. Many younger players will participate in both, offering ample growth opportunities.

9. Avoid scheduling conflicts with other school athletic programs

   1. The girl's Head Coach and I share our schedule drafts on Google Docs. We review each other's schedules before finalizing game dates.

   2. Our athletic department utilizes Eventlink that serves as a one-stop shop for athletic scheduling.

10. Various Considerations for Scheduling

    1. Avoid scheduling games during the last four or five days of the regular season. This provides an opportunity to rest players, recover from injuries, and adjust team strategies and tactics.

    2. If many of your athletes participate in fall sports, think about starting your game season slightly later than your state association permits. Additionally, consider scheduling easier games early in the season to allow athletes to adjust to basketball.

    3. Aim to schedule more home games than away games. Plan two to three years in advance. I've observed inexperienced coaches schedule numerous home games in one year, which results in a challenging series of away games the following year due to the need to reciprocate those match-ups.

    4. I don't shy away from varsity only games. If our program can get a two-year contract with a good program, but the distance prevents a Junior Varsity game from ocurring, then schedule a varsity only contest. We have two or three varsity only contest per season. Oftentimes, I will schedule a FR/JV double header with that same school on a separate date to make up the Junior Varsity game.

    5. Your athletic administration aims to generate revenue from ticket sales. I've learned to avoid scheduling too many home games against teams that don't attract many family members or fans. I've also realized it's best to avoid these teams in our Christmas tournament for the same reason.

    6. Think about playing a strong program at a neutral venue, ideally a small college. While NCAA Division I schools are off-limits due to recruiting regulations, you can compete at D2, D3, and NAIA institutions. Remember the larger court size; if your post-season tournament is held on a college floor, this becomes an even more advantageous strategy.