There’s a rush to finish the Big 7 men’s and women’s basketball regular season after weeks of prolonged winter weather.
The regular season will conclude on Thursday night for both Orange and Cedar Ridge.
The Big 7 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments is scheduled to start on February 16. In the opening rounds, the higher seeded teams will host the games. The regular season champion in each tournament will receive a bye into the semifinals.
The regular season champions will host the semifinals and championship games of the respective tournaments. It marks a departure from how the 2024 and 2025 Central Conference Tournament were handled. In 2024, Person hosted the tournament semifinals and championship games. Last year, Orange was the host for the final two rounds.
It’s the first year of the Big 7 Conference, which ranges as far north as Oxford and as far south as Pittsboro.
The Seaforth women’s basketball team won the Mid-Carolina Conference Tournament last year, beating Southeast Alamance in the final.
None of the men’s teams from the Big 7 Conference won a conference tournament last year. The Big 7 drew teams from three different conferences: the Mid-Carolina, the Central and the Northern Lakes. J.F. Webb, Carrboro Durham School of the Arts and South Granville played in the Northern Lakes, which Southern Durham captured last year. Cedar Ridge and Orange came from the Central Conference, which Person won. Seaforth played in the Mid-Carolina, which Northwood won.
