Nalin Sood and other members of the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association left their meeting with the WIAA earlier this week feeling positive that changes to improve the basketball state tournaments are on the horizon.

“We feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” said Sood, president of WIBCA and boys basketball coach at Mountlake Terrace. “We feel like (Tuesday’s) meeting was positive and there is good dialogue going on between the WIAA and WIBCA.”

No immediate changes were announced and none are expected until the WIAA’s Executive Board meets on April 17-18.

Mike Colbrese, WIAA executive president, said the organization is open to altering to the format, which was introduced last April. After meeting twice with the WIAA in the past two weeks, Sood believes the WIAA is receptive to making changes. Exactly what those changes could be are still unknown.

Sood said the WIAA shared financial figures with the coaches on Tuesday. The basketball state tournaments are the organization’s cash cow and help pay for many non-income-producing athletic events and activities. The changes to the format resulted in an additional net income of $152,378 over the 2010 basketball state tournaments.

Sood acknowledged that the WIAA has “fiscal responsibilities” to measure up to, but hoped it could find a balance between bringing in enough revenue and putting on a basketball state tournament that satisfies student-athletes, coaches and fans.

The WIAA will also have meetings with principals, athletics directors and a group of girls basketball coaches before its makes a decision.