News, notes, and reminders for participating schools, teams, fans, and administrators as well as interested members of the media are provided below for the upcoming State Football playoffs. Read more for information that is designed to answer frequently asked questions regarding the State Tournament!
Participating Schools, Coaches, and School Administrators
Schools participating in the 2017 MPSSAA State Football Tournament should familiarize themselves with the MPSSAA Fall Bulletin Introduction and Football Bulletin. The following information is designed to answer frequently asked questions regarding the State Tournament.
Media
Members of the media covering the MPSSAA Football playoffs should familiarize themselves with the MPSSAA Media page found on MPSSAA.org. Any member of the media wishing to broadcast or video/audio stream an MPSSAA region or state football contest must complete the proper paperwork. Broadcasting companies should contact Jason Bursick in the MPSSAA office for further details. Members of the media wishing to obtain credentials for the State Finals must apply for credentials via the Media page of mpssaa.org prior to the start of the event.
Region and State Tournament Schedule and Results
The schedule and results for each week of the 2017 Football Playoffs will be updated by our friends at County Sports Zone and be available on their site or via link on mpssaa.org. Host sites for the region semifinal, finals, and State Semifinals will be at the higher seed's home field or a field determined by that local school system to conform to the criteria in the MPSSAA Football Bulletin. State Finals will be played in Annapolis this year for the first time at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Tickets
The MPSSAA will issue tickets to each host site. Only MPSSAA Complimentary passes shall be accepted at sites (please refer to the MPSSAA Fall Bulletin Intro and Football section). Tickets for the regional semifinals and finals will cost $6.00 for admission, $8.00 at State Semifinals, and $10.00 at State Finals.
Team Tournament Entry Form Due
Each school advancing past the region semifinal round must complete the team tournament entry form. The tournament entry form is due by 4 PM on Monday, November 13th and can be found on MPSSAA.org on the Athletic Director's account page. This page is password protected and each school has a username and password that has been passed out to only Athletic Directors.
State Semifinal Teams Reseeded
A reminder that those schools advancing to the State Semifinals that teams will be reseeded based on their final regular season points average. The team coming out of each region with the highest regular season points average will be seeded one, followed by the second highest points average and so on.
MPSSAA Media Form
The MPSSAA Media Form is located on the football page of mpssaa.org in main menu on the left hand side of the football main page or click on the embedded link provided. This time-sensitive material is due via email to Jill Masterman in the MPSSAA office by no later than 12 Noon on Monday, November 20th.
MPSSAA Football Press Conference Luncheon
The MPSSAA will host its annual Football Press Conference on Tuesday, November 21st at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Head Coach of each State Semifinal team is required to attend as important information will be provided regarding the football Semifinals and Finals. In addition, coaches will meet with members of the media. Members of the media wishing to attend must contact Cheryl Wells in the MPSSAA Office.
State Finals at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
The State Finals at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will take place on November 30th, December 1st, and December 2nd. Class 3A will play on Thursday, November 30th at 7:00 pm, Class 4A will play on Friday, December 1st at 7:30 pm, while Class 1A and 2A will play on Saturday, December 2nd at 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm respectively.
Tickets for the State Finals are available for purchase in advance or may be purchased on game day at the ticket windows. The MPSSAA encourages those attending the State Finals to purchase their tickets in advance to avoid long lines at ticket windows and entrances. Schools should also direct students, fans, and parents to the MPSSAA "Fan Focus" for information regarding attending the State Finals.
Schools participating in the State Finals will receive further information at the press luncheon on November 21st and in the "Last Minute Bulletin" that will be distributed at that time.