Michigan High School Athletic Association

Last updated
Michigan High School Athletic Association
AbbreviationMHSAA
Legal statusAssociation
PurposeAthletic/Educational
Headquarters1661 Ramblewood Dr.
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
Region served
Michigan
Membership
1,500+ junior and senior high schools
Official language
English
Executive Director
Mark Uyl
Affiliations National Federation of State High School Associations
Staff
25
Website MHSAA.com
Remarks(517) 332-5046

The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Contents

Unlike many other NFHS member organizations,

As of August 13, 2019, the MHSAA has 749 member high schools, comprising virtually all high school athletics in Michigan, public and private. Only a small number of private schools and a few nontraditional public schools in Michigan forgo MHSAA membership. MHSAA member schools may compete against non-member school in interscholastic athletic competition.

The MHSAA supports 28 sports.

Boys: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Alpine Skiing, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling

Girls: Basketball, Bowling, Competitive Cheer, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Alpine Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball

Technically, all "boys" teams are officially "boys & girls" teams, while "girls" teams are "girls only," although having girls actually play on "boys & girls" teams is approximately as uncommon as in the many other states using a similar arrangement. (An example is Norway, Michigan's tennis team). [1]

Traditional classifications used are labeled A, B, C, and D, from largest to smallest. Each grouping consists of 25% (or as close as is mathematically practicable) of all member schools sorted by student population, including a variety of correction factors. Total 4-year coed enrollment cutoffs for the 2019–20 school year are as follows: [2]

The traditional classifications have the same number of schools (or as close as mathematically possible) in each of them, but not necessarily the same number of teams in a given sport's tournament; smaller schools are unable to support as many sport teams, although they may form cooperative programs classified by the combined enrollments of the schools involved. In order to prevent distorted tournament structures, for all sports the MHSAA uses "nearly equal divisions," where only those schools sponsoring a team in the given sport are broken into as many equally sized groupings (or as close to equal as is mathematically possible) as the Association feels is appropriate given the number of schools sponsoring the sport. The MHSAA's tournament structures are similar to those used in many other States; schools are assigned to Regions and, in those sports where it is appropriate, Districts. Assignments are made on a sport-to-sport and year-to-year basis, meaning that as no two sports have identical classification methods and sponsorship levels, a given school will usually have at least minor variations in its overall tournament path from sport to sport.

Unlike in some states, regional and district placement has no bearing on regular season scheduling; schools form conferences on their own or compete as independents, although conferences generally consist of similarly sized schools which are geographically proximate to each other. Except in football, all schools in good standing fielding teams in a particular sport are allowed to enter that sport's postseason tournament which crowns a champion. Some sport championship tournaments are divided into separate Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula tournaments; an example of this is tennis. [3] Schools pay no entry fees to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which are paid for out of ticket sales, sponsorships and broadcast rights fees.

For football, postseason inclusion was, through 2019, determined by wins and a computer point value, calculated for each team based upon its record and strength of schedule, with the top 256 teams (including all teams with six victories if playing a nine-game schedule) qualifying. These 256 teams were then ordered by enrollment and divided into 8 divisions of 32 teams each. This was nearly unique amongst high school football competition in the U.S. in that many teams do not know which classification they will compete for a state title in until after the regular season has ended; the Illinois High School Association, North Carolina High School Athletic Association, and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association also have a similar format. The MHSAA announced in 2019 that, beginning with the 2020 season, its football playoff system would change: The aforementioned computer point value (derived from a combination of a team's own record, its opponents' record and its opponents' opponents' record, with points awarded based on which of the four classes each opponent is in) will be the sole method to select playoff teams, and the eight divisions will be set in advance of the season.

Participation in Michigan is generally limited to eligible 9th through 12th graders; students are given eight consecutive semesters of eligibility beginning with the 9th grade. Schools with a four-year high school enrollment of 99 or less may draw upon the 8th grade for varsity competition in all sports except football, ice hockey and wrestling, while schools with a four-year high school enrollment of 49 or less may also draw upon the 7th grade.

The MHSAA is considered a leader among state high school offices and is known for pro-actively implementing solutions to problems faced by all state offices and for committing substantial resources to technological improvements.

Participation

Michigan maintained its standing nationally in high school sports participation statistics for the 2018–19 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The total for the 2018–19 year was 281,992, with 120,378 girls and 161,614 boys taking part. [4]

Student leadership

MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award

Each year, the MHSAA recognizes 32 student-athletes throughout the state of Michigan with its Scholar-Athlete Award. Recipients receive a $1,000 scholarship. The award is sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. [5]

Students work to untie a "human knot" at a Captains Clinic Captains-clinic-09.jpg
Students work to untie a "human knot" at a Captains Clinic

MHSAA Captains Clinic Series

In conjunction with Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, the MHSAA provides programming to member schools via their leagues and/or conferences in the form of one-day trainings. Curriculum is geared toward developing leadership skills for current and future team captains. [6]

Student Advisory Council

In 2005, the MHSAA created a 16-member student panel to act as the voice of Michigan's student athlete population, serve as a sounding board for the MHSAA's Representative Council, assist in planning Sportsmanship Summits and Captains Clinics, and to help with medal and trophy ceremonies at MHSAA championship events. The council is composed of eight boys and eight girls, all of either junior or senior high school status. [7]

MHSAA tournaments

Boys

SportSeasonDivision/
Class
Venue (as of fall 2016)City
Cross CountryFallLP 1/2/3/4 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn
UP 1/2/3Gladstone High School Gladstone
FootballFall1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 Ford Field Detroit
8 Player FootballFall1 and 2 Superior Dome Marquette
SoccerFall1/4Comstock Park High School Comstock Park
2/3 Stoney Creek High School Rochester Hills
TennisFallLP 1Midland Tennis Center Midland
LP 2 Hope College Holland
LP 3 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo
LP 4Holly HS / Fenton HS Holly / Fenton
BasketballWinter1/2/3/4 Breslin Center East Lansing
BowlingWinter1/4Sterling Lanes Sterling Heights
2Super Bowl Canton
3Airport Lanes Jackson
4Royal Scot Lansing
Ice HockeyWinter1/2/3 USA Hockey Arena Plymouth
SkiingWinter1 Nub's Nob Harbor Springs
2 Boyne Highlands Harbor Springs
Swimming & DivingWinterLP 1Holland Aquatic Center Holland
LP 2 Saginaw Valley State University University Center
LP 3 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti
UP Marquette High School Marquette
Wrestling (team)Winter1/2/3/4 Wings Event Center Kalamazoo
Wrestling (individual)Winter1/2/3/4 Ford Field Detroit
BaseballSpring1/2/3/4 Michigan State University East Lansing
GolfSpringLP 1 Grand Valley State University Allendale
LP 2Bedford Valley Battle Creek
LP 3Forest Akers East East Lansing
LP 4Forest Akers West East Lansing
UP 1Wawonowin Negaunee
UP 2Oak Crest Norway
UP 3Escanaba Country Club Escanaba
LacrosseSpring1/2Parker Middle School Howell
TennisSpringUP 1Negaunee High School Negaunee
UP 2Iron Mountain High School Iron Mountain
Track & FieldSpringLP 1East Kentwood High School Kentwood
LP 2Forest Hills Eastern High School Ada
LP 3Comstock Park High School Comstock
LP 4Hudsonville High School Hudsonville
UP 1/2/3Kingsford High School Kingsford

Girls

SportSeasonDivision/
Class
Venue (as of fall 2017)City
Cross CountryFallLP 1/2/3/4 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn
UP 1/2/3Munising High School Munising
GolfFallLP 1The Meadows, Grand Valley State University Allendale
LP 2Bedford Valley Battle Creek
LP 3Forest Akers West, Michigan State University East Lansing
LP 4Forest Akers East, Michigan State University East Lansing
Swimming & DivingFallLP 1 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti
LP 2 Oakland University Rochester Hills
LP 3Holland Aquatic Center Holland
TennisFallUP 1Kingsford High School Kingsford
UP 2Ishpeming Westwood High School Ishpeming
VolleyballFall1/2/3/4 Kellogg Arena Battle Creek
BasketballWinter1/2/3/4 Calvin College Grand Rapids
BowlingWinter1Sterling Lanes Sterling Heights
2Super Bowl Canton
3Airport Lanes Jackson
4Royal Scot Lansing
Competitive CheerWinter1/2/3/4Delta Plex Grand Rapids
GymnasticsWinter1/2Rockford High School Rockford
SkiingWinter1 Marquette Mountain Marquette
2Schuss Mountain Bellaire
Swimming & DivingWinterUP Marquette High School Marquette
GolfSpringUP 1Marquette Golf & Country Club Marquette
UP 1Wawonowin Negaunee
UP 2Oak Crest Norway
UP 3Mid-Peninsula Rock
LacrosseSpring1/2Brighton High School Brighton
SoccerSpring1/2 Michigan State University East Lansing
3/4Mason High School Mason
SoftballSpring1/2/3/4 Michigan State University East Lansing
TennisSpringLP 1Midland Tennis Center Midland
LP 2Holly Holly
LP 3Holland High School Holland
LP 4 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo
Track & FieldSpringLP 1East Kentwood High School Kentwood
LP 2Forest Hills Eastern High School Ada
LP 3Comstock Park High School Comstock
LP 4Hudsonville High School Hudsonville
UP 1/2/3Kingsford High School Kingsford

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References

  1. The results of the 2008 U.P. Division 2 Finals; note the one girl who is on 3 doubles and the two girls who are at 4 doubles.
  2. "2019-20 MHSAA Enrollment List" (PDF). mhsaa.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  3. MHSAA's website lists tennis with "LP" and "UP", signifying "Lower Peninsula" and "Upper Peninsula".
  4. "Four Sports Set Records Again as MHSAA Participation Remains Steady in 2018-19".
  5. "Scholar-Athlete Award - MHSAA Students". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  6. "Captains Clinics - MHSAA Students". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  7. "Student Advisory Council - Michigan High School Athletic Association". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.