HOT SPRINGS - Arkansas Activities Association Executive Director Lance Taylor says he might take some heat over the expected snow.
If today's four state championship basketball games at the Summit Arena are canceled because of the weather, the AAA will consider moving those games to Sunday afternoon.
Photos
See photos from the game in our http://focus.arkans…">Basketball Focus Gallery
The AAA, the state's governing body for high school athletics, has a longstanding tradition of not scheduling or playing events on Sunday, but with southwest Arkansas under a winter storm watch Thursday night and today, rescheduling tonight's games to early Sunday afternoon is a possibility.
Taylor said a final decision to move today's games will not be made until after the AAA board meets this morning to check on road conditions throughout Arkansas.
"The schools are here, but this is also about the communities," Taylor said. "We want to make sure those fans have every opportunity to see their teams play. And wedon't want them traveling on icy roads to get here."
According to the national weather service, 1 to 2 inches of snow was expected to accumulate in the Hot Springs area overnight. Another 3 to 5 inches were expected this morning. Thursday's low was expected to be 32. Today's high was listed at 37 with gusty winds.
As of Thursday afternoon, Taylor said Saturday's six state championship games will be played at their scheduled times.
Taylor said he did not like having to schedule games for Sunday, but that moving the championship games to either Monday or Tuesday would conflict with End of Course Literacy Exams, a state-mandated test that all juniors must pass to graduate.
"Some people are going to hate us, some aren't," said Taylor of playing championship games Sunday.
If the games are moved to Sunday, Taylor said the starting time for the first game would be moved "to closer to 1 p.m."
Sports, Pages 25 on 03/07/2008