Leading off today: This year's season-ending Federation Tournament of Champions will be the last one in Glens Falls for at least three years following a vote Wednesday to move the event to Albany next winter.

   The New York State Federation Council awarded the event to the Times Union Center in downtown Albany after also receiving bids from representatives from Glens Falls, Binghamton and Long Island. Glens Falls has hosted the season-ending meeting of representatives from the state's four major sanctioning bodies since 1981.

   "I kind of have this numb feeling," Doug Kenyon, Section 2 executive director and Federation tournament, told The Post-Star. "The only thing I can think of is Albany came in with huge financial incentives. ... It's kind of a shocker."

   The New York State Public High School Athletic Association boys final fours remain committed to Glens Falls through at least 2013.

   Walter Eaton, executive director of the Federation Council said Albany's bid features "an enhanced experience for the kids," but did not elaborate to the newspaper. He indicated that building a stronger basketball event could open the door to the Federation conducting championships in more sports, which would seemingly imply Albany put more money on the table.

   The Federation event has long faced challenges including an almost anti-climatic atmosphere the week after the NYSPHSAA finals that sometimes pack the Glens Falls Civic Center. With the field dominated by metro New York teams and Section 2 rarely able to advance a rep (Bishop Maginn in 2008 was just the region's second boys champ since 1998), attendance often is sparse.

   Federation thoughts I: I do not know yet what incentives Albany put on the table to win the right to host, but I would imagine the financial guarantees must have been beyond what the other three bidders offered.

   On the surface, there's nothing wrong with that because the Federation committee has an obligation to act in the organization's best interest -- and being able to pay the bills is part of the consideration.

   But as I noted last month, downstate teams dominate the Federation field: The PSAL is solely a New York City outfit, and more than 90 percent of the CHSAA and AIS members are from the metro area. If a Section 2 team does not advance from the NYSPHSAA tournament, then the likes of Jamesville-DeWitt and Newburgh are about as close to "local flavor" as the Federation tourney will get.

   Albany is going to have to do a massive job promoting the event, because the only atmosphere less inspiring than 6,500 empty seats for a 10 a.m. semi at the Glens Falls

Civic Center is 16,500 empty seats at the Times Union Center.

   Federation thoughts II: I'm not sure what they were supposed to be working on last night in The Post-Star newsroom, but the staff of the Glens Falls newspaper shifted gears in a hurry and banged out some outstanding reporting and writing.

   Besides the mainbar I linked to above, check out Greg Brownell's sidebar on local reaction and a column that summed up exactly what many of us in the business have been thinking for awhile.

   Fiacchi commits: All-state quarterback Will Fiacchi of Marcellus has committed to play at the University of Albany, The Post-Standard reported. The first-team Class B all-state selection threw for 2,607 yards last fall to end his career with 6,971 yards through the air. He was also considering Rhode Island, Holy Cross and Princeton.

   Oliva update: The New York Daily News reports authorities in Boston appear to be wrapping up their investigation into allegations that veteran basketball coach Bob Oliva molested a family friend during a trip to Massachusetts more than 30 years ago.

   Oliva resigned as boys basketball coach at Christ The King, where his teams won five city championships in 27 seasons, before last season. With 549 victories, he ranks 16th on the state's career wins list.

   An unidentified associate of Oliva told the paper Suffolk County, Mass., prosecutors had asked him if he would appear before a grand jury, and two men who claim they were also abused said they were recently interviewed by investigators.

   The paper said Oliva did not return an e-mail request for comment. He has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, which began in March 2009.

   Finney edges Maple Grove: Billy Attridge made two free throws with four seconds remaining to lift C.G. Finney to a 60-58 boys basketball victory over Maple Grove last night in a rematch of a 2009 state Class D quarterfinal.

   Jamel Johnson led Finney, which has moved up to Class B this season, with 19 points.

   Maple Grove, which got 20 points from Chris Secky, is 7-5 against an ambitious schedule this winter and is ranked fourth in Class D by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Its other loses are to Olean (No. 5 in Class B), Lancaster St. Mary's, Buffalo McKinley and Newark (ninth in Class A).