By Myra Bean

The Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) has announced sweeping plans concerning the state championship football and basketball games.

The MHSAA held a press conference Monday morning to outline the change in venue for these events.

This is especially important news for South Panola as they are the only team that has appeared in the state football championship games 14 times and won 10.

State Football 

Championships

Starting this year, the state football championships will be played at Mississippi State University in Davis Wade Stadum on Scott Field. The championships will rotate between Miss. State and Ole Miss on the campus which is not hosting the Egg Bowl. The agreement stands for the next four years. Miss. State will host 2014 and 2016 while Ole Miss will host 2015 and 2017.

Games will continue to be televised statewide.

MHSAA executive director Don Hinton said it will be “financially beneficial” for the football championships to move.

“We hope with the change in venue/new area will bring an increase in ticket sales. We have to have 30,000 (attendance) and above,” Hinton siad.

All-Star Game

Another change is the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star game will be played in Mississippi for the first time at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2015. The game this year will be December 13 in Montgomery and back again Dec. 10, 2016.

USM will host the game Dec. 12, 2015 and Dec. 9, 2017 at M. M. Roberts Stadium.

Johnny Mims, executive director of Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) said he has been trying ot bring the All-Star football game to Mississippi for the last 10 years.

The basketball All-Star game will rotate between Jackson State and Alabama State each year with the 2015 games in Alabama.

State Basketball 

Championships

The platform for basketball is going through the biggest change. It will go from a 36-game format to an 84-game format. 

The Mississippi Coliseum will host the girls quarterfinals game. Jackson State will host the boys quarterfinals game in the Athletics and Assembly Center.

North-South basketball tournaments will be eliminated.

“There have been too many issues with sites, travel, scheduling, etc.,” Hinton said.

“All quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games will be played in centralized locations as opposed to predetermined high school gymnasiums,” said Hinton.

This will be Jackson State’s first time hosting a major MHSAA State championship on campus.

Mileage to the basketball championships have been a hot topic of discussion. Hinton said the MHSAA will take into consideration the mileage teams have to travel and is open to compensation meals and lodging.

“There is a chance the basketball championships could move out of Jackson in the future, but they will be in Jackson for right now,” Hinton said.

Miscellaneous

The state swimming championships will move from Delta State to the aquatics center in Tupelo.