For spectators, other than the tournament series offered by both the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association, this is by and large the last, best chance to see non-conference games. And, with schools wanting to attract fans and teams wanting to face high-caliber competition, the matchups that are generated specifically for these tournaments are many times of the highest quality. The Optimist Charity Classic, hosted by the Milwaukee Pius Lady Popes, is a perfect example. Year after year, it attracts the best not only from around the area but from around the country and affords fans a glimpse of players before they hit the big time. Not to mention the Lady Popes themselves, ranked No. 22 in the country by USA Today, and Janesville Parker, the No. 1 team in the state according to the Journal Sentinel.
Tournaments can also serve as a source of nostalgia.
The Pepsi Metro Holiday Classic, hosted by Milwaukee Lutheran, completed its third year on Wednesday. The brainchild of a core of coaches who sought to keep old rivalries and memories alive when realignment brought the end of the storied Metro Conference, it has done just that. Six of the eight teams that comprised the old Metro were involved in this year's tournament and have done so since its inception. The old Metro was the case where you played the game, then the two coaching staffs would go out for pizza or something afterward. That's what was so neat about it.