MHSAA changes basketball playoff format; only final 4 teams make it to the Big House
Published 10:37 pm Tuesday, August 28, 2018
- Meridian High School’s Tyron Brewer receives the ball during the MHSAA Class 6A state championship game against Columbus this past March at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson. A change in this coming season’s playoff format will mean that only teams who make the final four in each classification will play in the coliseum, commonly referred to as the Big House.
For high school basketball teams, a trip to the Big House has gotten even more elusive.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) has changed the format of its state basketball tournament for the 2018-19 season, a story that was first reported by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal’s Brad Locke.
In a letter sent to schools this week, the MHSAA informed team officials that quarterfinal contests will be held at host schools, and not in Jackson, where they’ve been held in year’s past. The MHSAA approved the format change last week.
The semifinals and finals will still be played at the Mississippi Coliseum, commonly referred to as the Big House, but play at Jackson State University will end.
The host school will be determined by which team — from the North or South regions — enters with the higher seed. Should teams be equally seeded, the team representing the higher-numbered region will serve as host.
MHSAA executive director, Don Hinton, told the Daily Journal monetary concerns from the fans, in part, led to the change in format.
“They’ll have their community, they’ll have their crowd there, and be able to host that game. I think it’ll financially help our schools,” Hinson told the paper.
The 2018-19 high school basketball season begins in November.
