Board reassures local teams on Corn Palace scheduling despite growing event bookings
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Summary
Board members discussed scheduling conflicts between recurring tournaments, Dakota Wesleyan and Mitchell High events; staff said schedules are collected early and local teams remain a priority, though added weekend events have reduced some Saturday availability.
Board members raised concerns about whether local high-school and Dakota Wesleyan teams receive priority for Corn Palace dates as more external events are booked. Speaker 4 said athletes and families feel local teams may have been deprioritized, citing a pattern of Sunday games for Dakota Wesleyan and requests to preserve home-court practices.
Speaker 1 explained the scheduling process: the venue collects team dates (typically in June) and plugs them into the calendar to avoid conflicts. He said recurring tournaments and high-school commitments historically reserve key weekends and that added events (like new tournaments) have occupied some Saturdays. "Priority from November to March is is basketball," he said, adding staff tries to avoid scheduling conflicts and works with athletic directors to protect home-game dates.
No formal policy change was made at the meeting; staff said they will continue coordinating schedules and communicate blackout periods and recurring tournament dates to partners.