Early round games in the Division I boys volleyball tournament between teams like Kamehamameha-Hawaii and Punahou could be played on the Neighbor Islands under the new regional format. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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HONOLULU – After three days of discussion, it appears – for now, anyway – that the neighbor islands will play a bigger role in a few state tournaments next school year.

On the third and final day of the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association annual conference Sunday, the general assembly voted in favor of a proposal that will alter the format of the Division I girls basketball and boys volleyball state tournaments for the 2013-2014 season.

The 12-team tournaments would go from four rounds in four days on one island to a two-week tournament that features four regional sites on three islands and a final four the following weekend. The league champions from the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Maui Interscholastic League and Oahu Interscholastic Association would still have a first-round bye and act as the host of a regional. There would be a single game Friday, with the winner advancing to face the regional host Saturday. The four regional winners would advance to the final four.

The measure passed unanimously (55-0) with the Oahu Interscholastic Association, the state's largest league, abstaining all 31 of its votes.

"I'm very happy that it passed, obviously, and it shows the willingness of the ADs and leagues to work together," said Hawaii High School Athletic Association Executive Director Chris Chun, who introduced the proposal to the HIADA body.

Chun's original pitch to the group Friday sought to include all 12-team state championships, but was amended to just the two sports on a one-year, pilot basis after it was narrowly defeated in a straw vote, 17 for and 20 against with one abstention.

"After it was amended, it gained some momentum each day," Chun said of the proposal. "I think it greatly benefits our neighbor island fans, who will get to see more high-level competition at home without having to travel to Oahu."

The measure – post-amendment – passed a committee vote (21 for and 15 against) on Saturday to reach the HIADA floor. Another proposed amendment was introduced Sunday prior to the vote by Kalani athletic director, Greg Van Cantfort. He sought to delay the implementation of the regional formatting to the 2014-2015 school year with the creation of an ad hoc committee to research the implications of such an "abrupt" change.

"(The OIA) is not against it – we conceptually like the idea," Van Cantfort said. "Our concern is that certain things need to get ironed out and with a relatively short time frame to work with, we'd rather make sure it's all been thought through and planned out thoroughly."

Academy of the Pacific athletic director Ryan Hogue was one of several to voice opposition to the OIA's suggestion.

"You're not going to see the issues that will come up in advance; You need to let it play its course out first," Hogue said.

The OIA's amendment was defeated by a vote of 32 for to 53 against.

"It shows that their heart is in the right place though," Iolani athletic director Carl Schroers said. "They're not against the idea, but ultimately, they're going to do what they have to do."

Chun told the HIADA general assembly Sunday that the HHSAA would fund at least $2,000 of expenses for any teams having to travel off-island twice to play in the tournament. In another cost-cutting move, Chun said if an opening-round game of a neighbor island regional has an ILH and OIA school facing off, it would be played on Oahu.

The final four for both the boys volleyball and girls basketball state tournaments will be held on Oahu this year.

The proposal must now attain final approval from the HHSAA Executive Board, which will meet at 10 a.m. Monday.