Two state high school championships are set for Jacksonville in 2027. The Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) listed tourism grants for both on its Oct. 22 meeting agenda.

The TDC agenda included 18 grant items requiring a motion, among them the 2027 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Boys and Girls Basketball Championship and the 2027 FHSAA State Track & Field Championship. Nick Morrow was listed as the scheduled presenter for both FHSAA grants and a third request for the 2027 NCAA Track & Field Championship. City Council President Nick Howland was listed as chair.

The agenda does not include dollar amounts for the individual grants. Whether the council voted to approve them has not been confirmed in public records available as of publication.

For Fletcher High School athletes, both championships will be close to home.

Basketball finals at UNF Arena

The FHSAA's planning calendar lists March 1-13, 2027, as the state championship window for boys and girls basketball, according to FHSAA brackets. State semifinals and championship games will be played at CSI Companies Court at UNF Arena in Jacksonville.

The 2026-27 season also introduces a new Open Division. After district tournaments, eight boys teams and eight girls teams will move into the Open Division based on FHSAA Power Rankings by MaxPreps, competing for separate state championships alongside the Classes 1A-6A and Rural Division brackets.

Fletcher's varsity boys basketball team competes in 5A District 4, according to MaxPreps. The Senators open their season Nov. 20 at home against Nease in a district game.

Track championships at Hodges Stadium

The FHSAA state track and field championships returned to Hodges Stadium on the University of North Florida campus in 2021 and were held there again in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, according to Run Florida Run. The 9,400-seat stadium hosted the 2026 meet May 6-9, running one classification per day. Specific 2027 dates have not been announced.

The TDC has a history with the venue. In 2021, the council committed $950,000 to resurface the competition and practice tracks and add broadcast fiber, giving the facility its Visit Jax Track name.

UNF announced an $8 million gift from the Estate of Kernan R. Hodges in March 2026 to fund restroom and locker room upgrades, press box renovations and infrastructure work at the stadium.

Other grants on the agenda

The FHSAA grants were part of a larger slate of sports tourism requests. The TDC agenda also listed grants for the 2027 DONNA Marathon Weekend, the 2027 Gate River Run and the 2027 AAU Track & Field Championship. The 2027 River City Relays and the 2027 East Coast Relays were also on the list.

The TDC's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10 at City Hall.