The number of high school boys and girls basketball teams opting out of the state tournaments this year has more than doubled compared to the previous two seasons.

According to numbers from the Michigan High School Athletic Association, a combined boys and girls total of 90 basketball teams have chosen not to participate in this year’s state tournaments. That is an increase of 109.3 percent from the 43 opt-out teams recorded last year and a 200 percent increase from the 30 recorded two years ago.

Despite the noticeable difference, the MHSAA expressed that there is no cause for concern with the increase in numbers.

“We’re not concerned, for a few reasons,” MHSAA communications director Geoff Kimmerly wrote in an email. “The percentage of the whole is still very small. Also, a number of schools that opted out are the same as have opted out previous years because of low numbers, etc.

“Others that opted out have been opting out of all sports this school year and hopefully will return to all activities when they decide the time is right.”

Heading into this basketball season, the MHSAA listed 727 boys basketball teams and 718 girls basketball teams on its official list, meaning 6.2 percent of the 1,445 total boys and girls teams have opted out. However, the total number of schools on the MHSAA’s official list is collected in March of the previous school year.

“It’s important to keep in mind that a great majority opting out are our smallest schools,” Kimmerly said. “The way the process works is schools tell us in March (of the previous school year) what sports they intend to play – but often we have schools that are hoping to have numbers but don’t when the time comes to start a season.”

Among the 90 schools opting out this year, 55 (61.1 percent) of them are in Division 4 schools. For boys, any school with enrollment less than 190 are placed in Division 4 while girls teams with enrollment under 194 are Division 4.