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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-November 24, 2003
Contact: John Johnson, Andy Frushour or Randy Allen
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Nov. 24 – The schedule for coverage of Michigan High School Athletic Association championships in football and girls basketball has been set.

The package is highlighted by two weekends of live coverage of the MHSAA Football Playoff Finals and Girls Basketball Finals on Fox Sports Net. Fox Sports Net is covering both events for the sixth straight year in 2003, with the games reaching over 2.6 million homes. However, due to a conflict with professional and collegiate games, four telecasts will receive same-day delayed airings as well as an additional Sunday afternoon airing.

The Division 4, 5 and 3 football finales on Nov. 28 and 29 and the Class B girls basketball championship on Dec. 6 will be tape delayed. All of the delayed contests will receive their first airings on a same-day delay telecast basis later that same evening on the following schedule: Nov. 28 – Division 4 Football – 11 p.m., following Detroit Red Wings-New York Islanders hockey, the Detroit Sports Report and the Black & Blue Preview. Nov. 29 – Division 5 Football – 10:30 p.m. and Division 3 Football – 1 a.m., following Detroit Pistons-Washington Wizards basketball and the Detroit Sports Report. Dec. 6 – Class B Girls Basketball – 11:30 p.m., following Detroit Red Wings-Toronto Maple Leafs hockey, University of Michigan-Vanderbilt University men’s basketball, and the Detroit Sports Report. All of the delayed games will also receive a Sunday airing the same weekend. On Nov. 30, the Division 4 football game will be shown again at 10:30 a.m.; followed by Division 5 at 1 p.m.; and Division 3 at 3:30 p.m. On Dec. 7, the Class B girls basketball game will be shown again at 1 p.m.

Here is the complete schedule for the live games to be broadcast: Football -- Division 8 – Nov. 28 – 10 a.m.; Division 2 – Nov. 28 – 1 p.m.; Division 6 – Nov. 28 – 5 p.m.; Division 7 – Nov. 29 – 10 a.m.; Division 1 – Nov. 29 – 1 p.m.; Girls Basketball -- Class D – Dec. 6 – 11 a.m.; Class A – Dec. 7 – 1:30 p.m.; Class C – Dec. 6 – 5 p.m. During December, the following additional playbacks in football have been scheduled: Division 6 – Dec. 19 – Noon; Division 4 – Dec. 20 – 1:30 p.m.; Division 3 – Dec. 21 – 12:30 p.m.; Division 7 – Dec. 26 – Noon; Division 1 – Dec. 27 – Noon; Division 5 – Dec. 31 – Noon.

On the radio side, the Michigan Talk Radio Network, the MHSAA’s radio partner, will provide play-by-play coverage of the football finals and girls basketball semifinals and finals. All of the games will be available on the Internet through the MHSAA Web Site, and the semifinal and final games of the girls basketball tournament will again be broadcast over the air on network flagship stations WMMI-AM and WCZY-FM, Mt. Pleasant. Additional stations will be announced on the MHSAA Web site as they are added to the network. Local listings should be consulted for individual game availability. WMMI (830 AM) will air the Class C and Class A semifinals the afternoons of Dec. 4 and 5; and the daytime final games in Classes D and A on Dec. 6. Its sister station, WCZY-FM (104.3 FM) will air the evening semifinal games in Classes D and B on Dec. 4 and 5; and the evening final game in Classes C on Dec. 6. Because of a conflict with a college game, a local clearance is still being sought for the Class B final game on Dec. 6.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,200 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

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