The competition to host the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s state tournaments gets tougher each time they come up for bid.

But Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Eric Zartler said he’s confident that Southwest Louisiana will keep the softball, baseball, swimming and boys basketball state tournaments for another two years.

“We will find out this week what our fate is,” said Zartler, vice president of sales. “We are hoping to maintain all four events that we have grown to love here in Southwest Louisiana. I feel like our facilities are first class (as are) our volunteers.

“The job that Sulphur Parks does, as well as Burton Complex does, is second to none. I think they would be hard-pressed to find another community in the state that can do it as well as we can do. I feel like our bids speak for themselves. Hopefully, our history pulls through and we can maintain these events.”

The LHSAA did away with in-person presentations this year. Instead, bids were submitted on May 15. LHSAA staff reviewed the bids and sought additional information if needed before submitting recommendations to the Executive Committee, Zartler said. He said he expects the committee to make a decision today or Thursday at the latest.

Over the last several years, Zartler said the Sulphur Parks and Recreation made an investment to install artificial turf at North Frasch and McMurry parks. But many facilities throughout the state have followed suit in recent years in hopes of luring a big tournament.

Zartler said Broussard and Ruston are two of a few towns that bid for the softball tournament that has been in Sulphur since 2001. He said he expects competing bids from north Louisiana for swimming that has been at the SPAR Aquatic Center since 2005.

“When you look at the investments that these communities are making, it is similar to what we have done here,” Zartler said. “These other areas are doing the same thing — they are building these big facilities. They are not building them not to be used, that is for sure.

“There is no secret as to why you are doing it. It is to bring dollars to your local economy. With that, competition is going to get a little bit tougher.”

Zartler said another plus for the tournament to stay in Southwest Louisiana is ample hotel rooms plus the effort made to keep the tournaments on track despite the COVID-19 outbreak that started in the middle of the boys state basketball in March 2020, and a pair of hurricanes later that year.

McMurry Park has been the host site for the state baseball tournament since 2012, while the boys basketball tournament has been at Burton Coliseum for nine years.