It will literally be the end of an era when the Louisiana High School Athletic Association hosts its annual Sweet 16 girls basketball tournament in Hammond.

Commissioner Tommy Henry announced Friday that the LHSAA will rename its girls tourney for 2007, citing a copyright conflict over the Sweet 16 name with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.

The six-day tournament starts Monday at Southeastern Louisiana University’s University Center and will feature six local-area teams — Class 5A Denham Springs (33-3), 4A Glen Oaks (31-1), 3A Capitol (30-4), 2A Episcopal (30-7), Christian Life of 1A (29-6) and Holden (32-4) of Class B.

“When we went to register the names of all our tournaments this past year we found out Kentucky had the name Sweet 16 registered,” Henry said. “We contacted them (KHSAA) about using the name. They have supposedly sent us a letter saying we can use it this year, but not after that.

“We haven’t received that letter yet, but Mitch Small (LHSAA marketing director) spoke with their commissioner, Brigid DeVries and she told him we won’t be allowed to use the name Sweet 16.

DeVries of the KHSAA was unavailable for comment. A KHSAA staff assistant said a letter “to Louisiana” was mailed earlier in the week.

The KHSAA uses the name Sweet 16 for its boys and girls basketball tournaments, each of which feature 16 teams based on 16 state regions. The Sweet 16 name has been used in Kentucky for its boys tourney dating to the 1920s.

Henry said the need for a new name might prompt a contest to name the 28-team tournament. When it began, the LHSAA girls tournament also featured 16 teams, but grew through the years.

GOHS, the 4A runner-up the past two years, faces Tioga (26-10) at 6:30 p.m. Capitol, last year’s 4A champion and the winner of three 4A titles in a five-year span, faces Teurlings Catholic (25-10) at 8 p.m. TCHS won its latest 3A title in 2002.

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