The state high school football champeenships are returning to Jackson. The Mississippi High School Activities Association announced yesterday:
The MHSAA State Football Championships will return to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson in December.If Jackson leaders had any sense, which is doubtful, they would get Visit Jackson, the Chamber of Commerce, and other parties together to roll out the welcome mat for MHSAA and make them feel special. They always gripe about no one coming to Jackson. Well, here is their chance to change their minds.
The 2020 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic is scheduled for Thursday, December 3rd and Friday, December 4th at the historic 60,000-seat venue that hosted MHSAA football finals from 1992 through 2013.
“We are excited about the opportunity to return the Gridiron Classic to a place with such a storied history in Mississippi,” MHSAA Executive Director Don Hinton said. “There have been so many great moments and memories for our schools over the years at Memorial Stadium.”
“This has been and continues to be a challenging year for all of us due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s no different for our schools and communities in Mississippi as together we all try to navigate unprecedented circumstances.”
The Gridiron Classic rotated among Mississippi State University (2014, 2016), the University of Mississippi (2015, 2017) and the University of Southern Mississippi (2018, 2019) for the past six years. MSU had been slated to host this year’s games prior to Covid-19.
MSU now has a home game on December 5th after reworking its football schedule, which could be subject to further changes and delays as the season progresses. Ole Miss and USM face similar scheduling challenges.
“Our universities in Mississippi are dealing with many of the same issues as our public and parochial schools,” Mr. Hinton said. “Their football games and athletic events are under attendance limitations just as with MHSAA schools. Colleges are restricting tailgating for students, alumni and fans. Understandably, administrators are doing their best to avoid hosting any additional events on campus — especially those that would bring crowds.
“Memorial Stadium offers a unique option because the stadium’s capacity is large enough to accommodate everyone who wants to attend the Gridiron Classic under the current attendance restictions. Yet these games won’t be played on a college campus and won’t create any challenges or issues for staff and students and day-to-day operations at Jackson State.
“We are grateful to Jackson State University President Thomas K. Hudson, Vice-President and Athletic Director Ashley Robinson, Associate Athletic Director Derek Scott and the entire university administration for their willingness and dedication to host the MHSAA State Championships. We have a tremendous relationship with Jackson State. They’ve hosted the quarterfinals of our State Basketball Championships for four years and it’s been first-class in every way.
“Our MHSAA Executive Committee — which is made up of school administrators from across the state — was unanimous in its approval of moving this year’s games to Memorial Stadium. We also hope moving the games to Thursday and Friday for this particular year will avoid any overlap with Mississippi’s college teams and their Saturday game schedules.”
Mr. Robinson said JSU was glad to be involved with this year’s football championships. The Tigers have played home football games since 1970 at Memorial Stadium, which is about 3 miles north of the university’s campus. Kickoff for the Tigers’ 2020 season was delayed from September to February 2021 due to Covid-19.
“We are happy to welcome MHSAA back to Veterans Memorial Stadium,” said Mr. Hudson, acting president of JSU. “Jackson State appreciates this partnership and hopes it continues into the future.”
“We are very excited to welcome back the MHSAA State Football Championships back to Jackson and Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium,” Mr. Robinson said. “There is a long and storied tradition of playing the State Championships in Jackson and we are very excited to once again serve as a partner for this event.”
Of course, all they will do is just talk without actually doing anything.
24 comments:
“If Jackson leaders had any sense, which is doubtful, they would get Visit Jackson, the Chamber of Commerce, and other parties together to roll out the welcome mat for MHSAA and make them feel special.”
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The welcome mats will be in Ridgeland, Pearl, Flowood, etc. along with good roads and safe places to eat and sleep. Jackson leadership won’t do anything because they haven’t shown they are capable of leading.
Hey Kids, would you like to play in an updated facility or in a dump?
everything in jackson worth seeing for a tourist is north of i-20 and is a mile or less from i-55. it’s really not that large of an area.
The attending fans better put on their bulletproof vests along with their masks.
Is that the event that was held there and a group of JPD were hired for security and somehow the whole 250k in receipts disappeared anyway? Then JPD had a questionable shooting about a week later and connections were tossed about then everyone forgot? Or was that a different event held there?
Band competition
Yeah, we get it, you all need your message boards to post your obsessive comments about Jackson. Visit Jackson might do something in relation to it, but given the significant reduction to their budget due to restaurants being closed or at half capacity and hotel occupancy rates being down (i.e., they are funded by the local tourism tax), such would probably be targeted toward those attending, not to MHSAA, who only put the event temporarily back in Jackson by necessity, not by choice. The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership represents a 7 county region, not just Jackson. (There is no Jackson only chamber of commerce, despite common misconceptions).
Why not just move the games to safe cities like New Orleans or Memphis or maybe even Birmingham since Jackson is so dangerous. And the kids could play in modern facilities that aren't dilapidated like Legion Field.
Those that attend these games should make sure their car insurance is up to date.
Busted car windows and auto theft were one of the main reasons Ole Miss & State quit playing
games in Jackson.
Whoever made this decision ought to be immediately fired! Period. There are a number of safe high school venues in this state that could host these games. Didn't I just read that this organization has new leadership? If that's the case, fire his ass!
None of the people attending these games (if held at Memorial Stadium) in Jackson would dare to eat, sleep or even stop for gas in the city. Even Academy has moved out, so they'll need to buy ammo in Madison.
6:13 I wonder what's the death toll of all those thousands of people who visit and work at UMC everyday and use Memorial Stadium as a parking lot. Must be hundreds of dead and wounded. It's sooooo dangerous.
Great, maybe somebody can steal the box office receipts again!
“Memorial Stadium offers a unique option because the stadium’s capacity is large enough to accommodate everyone who wants to attend the Gridiron Classic and still be a target for robbery. In addition, Jackson leadership will make every effort to blame all visitors for the woes of this dilapidated city”
I agree the city leaders should do more to court events like the state championships but complaints about Memorial Stadium are just pure bullshit.The central location of Jackson is most convenient, there are available hotels and restaurants and no matter what may be happening in some other parts of Jackson the Medical Center area has been relatively safe. I've never heard that people are afraid to go to the medical center because of crime and they use the stadium parking lot. It's a damn good decision and good use of an available facility. If you're scared, stay home.
Should note that Don Hinton the High School executive director is retiring at the end of the year. Doesn't have to answer to anybody.
7:01 - The employees and student at UMMC have no choice.
Not to worry, 9:29. The MHSAA appointed Don Hinton's chief lapdog Ricky Neives as the new MHSAA director. The MHSAA conducted an exhaustive search to find someone who could match Don Hinton's level of incompetence.
Will there be a shuttle bus from Shakey's Pizza Parlor?
9:28 - 'Relatively Safe'? Is that what families look for? A place to take their kids that's 'relatively safe'? Where are these motels and restaurants you mention? Why do you think so many hotels have sprung up in Rankin and Madison Counties within five miles of this stadium. It's because there IS no 'relative safety' in Jackson. Nowhere in Jackson.
Count the shootings and killings that have occurred in Jackson hotel/motel/extended stay places over the past ten years and compare them to those that have (not) occurred in Madison and Rankin counties.
Not counting IHOP that was robbed earlier this week and Church's Chicken, please name the restaurants of which you speak.
Good grief, y'all!
Did you not know that after that even Madison's crime rate is increasing? And, given that it's population is small and affluent and it's safety rating has been high, that's the case.
11:48 There is no public place in Mississippi that is absolutely safe. At best you must settle for "relative safety". Kids have even been killed in the school room and it wasn't in Jackson. Where was it? There are hotels and motels and restaurants all along the main highway I-55 and even a new hotel in Fondren just yards from Memorial Stadium. People live and work and park their cars in that area every day and are not all dead. No, it is not perfect but it is a reasonable alternative to college stadiums that are not available. Those college stadiums are also only "relatively safe".
If you hate Jackson and the people in it, just say so and stay away, but let other people go about their lives in "relative safety".
11:00 - Your argument is real special. There has not been a shooting or knifing at Southern Miss, MSU or Ole Miss in forever. They're a couple of notches above 'relative safety'.
You're attempting to dumb down the definition of personal safety by suggesting 'relative safety' is a goal, when it's not. If you wish to take your family to a venue of 'relative safety' or send your sixteen year old daughter out on a date to a place of 'relative safety', go for it.
"People live and work and park their cars in that area every day and are not all dead. "
Well, "not all dead" is good enough for me and my kids.
Thanks for the ringing endorsement, Sparky
3:24 Alright, you've made your point. You will probably never take your family to Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis, New York, Los Angeles, Houston,
Dallas, Miami , Birmingham, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Chicago, or at least 50 more American cities that can only provide "relative safety" at best. There's not that much to see in those places anyway.
Play the games and stay in Pearl, where it's safe!
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