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 2019 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 2019 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 first and second round of region play, the State Quarterfinals, and State Semifinals will be at the higher seed's home field or a field determined by that local school system that conforms to the criteria in the MPSSAA Football Bulletin. State Finals will once again be played in Annapolis 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 first and second rounds of region play and the State Quarterfinals will cost $6.00 for admission. Tickets bump up to $8.00 at State Semifinals and $10.00 at the 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 18th and can be found at MPSSAA.org in the "Member's" section of the website. This page is password protected and each school has a username and password that has been issued only to Athletic Directors.
State Quarterfinal Teams Reseeded
A reminder that those schools advancing to the State Quarterfinals 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. All games will be played at the site of the higher seeded team unless a specific alternative plan has been previously approved.
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 3 PM on Monday, November 18th.
MPSSAA Football Luncheon & Walk-Through
The MPSSAA will host a luncheon and walk-through of the facility on Tuesday, November 26th at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium beginning at 10:30 AM. The Head Coach of each State Semifinal team is required to attend as important information will be provided regarding the football Semifinals and Finals.
State Finals at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
The State Finals at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will take place on December 5th, December 6th, and December 7th. Class 3A will play on Thursday, December 5th at 7:00 pm, Class 4A will play on Friday, December 6th at 7:30 pm, while Class 1A and 2A will play on Saturday, December 7th 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 Semifinals and Finals will receive further information about the Finals at the luncheon on November 26th at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and in the "Last Minute Bulletin" that will be distributed at that time.