A decision announced Monday will put the 5A boys and girls basketball state tournaments at the same site.

A move by the Oregon School Activities Association means the tournaments will be played at the University of Oregon's McArthur Court in Eugene.

The 6A boys and girls tournaments will be played at the Rose Garden in Portland.

Combining genders at the association's two largest classifications brings 6A and 5A in line with 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A, which have played simultaneous tournaments at the same site for years and in the case of 2A and 1A, for decades.

The OSAA moved what was then the 4A boys tournament from Portland's Memorial Coliseum to McArthur Court in 2004 as part of a multi-sport, multi-year agreement with the UO. The Coliseum had hosted the tournament for 38 consecutive years beginning in 1966.

"We're convinced that the 6A championships need to be in Portland," said OSAA executive director Tom Welter, noting that 39 of the 46 6A schools are located between Portland and Salem. "This move not only places these events in a NBA facility and the best basketball arena in the state, it also will result in considerable savings in travel costs and missed class time for the participating schools."

The 6A girls tournament has been held at the Chiles Center since 1983, but the University of Portland recently notified the OSAA that it is no longer in the University's best interests to continue hosting in future years.