Hawai'i's 2008 girls basketball state tournaments have been pushed back a week to Feb. 19 through Feb. 22, meaning they will be held the same week as the boys tournaments (Feb. 20 to Feb. 23).

It also means there will be 48 teams (12 each for boys and girls, Division I and II) on O'ahu that week playing at 10 different sites, with fans likely having to choose between watching either the girls or boys on the three overlapping nights.

Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya announced the schedule change at yesterday's HHSAA executive board meeting. The original schedule had the girls tournaments set for the week before (Feb. 13 through Feb. 16), but Amemiya said neither the Stan Sheriff Center nor Blaisdell Arena were available on those dates.

"For the Division I semifinals and finals, we need a bigger site like Blaisdell or Stan Sheriff," Amemiya said. "But the only week they were available was that week. We still are looking for available gyms for the first round and quarterfinals."

For Division I, the boys and girls tournaments will use school sites for the first round and quarterfinals. The boys Division I semifinals and finals will be played at Blaisdell Arena, and the girls Division I semifinals and finals will be played at Stan Sheriff Center.

In the past, the girls basketball season in Hawai'i was held from February though May. But the HHSAA executive board voted this past May to change it to a winter sport for 2007-08, same as the boys and in alliance with the other 49 states.

Athletic directors across Hawai'i have since been scrambling and juggling schedules to find available practice and game sites. The season switch also led to softball moving to the spring, and Amemiya said yesterday the softball state tournament at the University of Hawai'i's Rainbow Wahine Stadium has to be pushed back two weeks to May 14 through May 17, squeezing in between UH home games.

Previous softball state tournaments have been held in February, usually before the Rainbow Wahine began their home schedule.

"Now we're competing with UH and the small colleges for facilities," Amemiya said. "(The basketball tournaments) are going to be a challenge to pull off, but as a result of the season switches, many of us are finding challenges in securing venues, similar to the leagues and schools.

"But it's going to be a challenge from now on — that's the reality, and we need to deal with it."

Amemiya said he even checked into the availability of Brigham Young-Hawai'i's Cannon Activities Center, but it also was booked.

UH civil rights specialist Jill Nunokawa, an attorney who has been a leading advocate for moving the girls basketball season here from spring to winter since 1993, said she would prefer to see the boys and girls tournaments run concurrently, with a girls-boys championship doubleheader on the final night.

"I would say, 'Let's play the finals together,' then for one ticket you can see the best in the state — boys and girls," Nunokawa said. "It would be a win-win for everybody."

Amemiya said the boys tournament dates at Blaisdell were reserved and locked in about a year in advance. The girls dates were in limbo because the season switch was not officially announced until May.

Nunokawa said she has been working with sport coordinators like Kailua athletic director Mel Imai to find solutions to the sudden crunch for facilities, officials and practice and game schedules.

But she emphasized that some changes are necessary in order to comply with the Title IX equal opportunity law and gender equity concerns.

"Obviously, as in any new venture, you're gonna have growing pains," Nunokawa said. "We know there will be problem areas, but when we find solutions the decisions need to be made conscientiously. Let's see what makes sense, but let's not violate (Title IX) further.

"A lot of times, something's gonna give, but that's OK as long as we don't cross the discrimination line and the sacrifices are shared equally."

STILL RUBBER CLEATS FOR SOFTBALL PLAYERS

Despite a new National Federation of State High School Associations rule allowing softball players to use metal spikes on their shoes, the HHSAA executive board voted unanimously to stick to Hawai'i's policy of rubber cleats only.

It was noted that many Mainland softball games are played on "skin" fields — with an entirely dirt infield — on which metal spikes are preferred. But in Hawai'i, many if not most infields are grass, making metal spikes more dangerous.

CLARIFICATION: Act 152 is a state law that was passed in the 2007 legislative session regarding users' liability at city and county facilities. An article in yesterday's Advertiser made reference to another law.

Read Wes Nakama's blog on prep sports at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.