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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --November 19, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Nov. 19 - Michigan's largest daily newspaper, the Detroit Free Press, will partner with the Michigan High School Athletic Association to promote its events and to provide printed special editions at four MHSAA championships during the 1998-99 school year.

Beginning with the MHSAA Football Playoff Finals at the Pontiac Silverdome on November 27-28, and the Girls Basketball Semifinals and Finals at Mt. Pleasant, December 3-5, the Free Press will print and distribute at each finals venue on a daily basis, a special edition of the newspaper. The special edition will include previews of upcoming games, coverage of games already played and features. The special edition will be available in limited quantities to spectators at each event.

Special editions of the Free Press will also be provided for the Lower Peninsula Individual Wrestling Finals at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, March 11-13, 1999; and the Boys Basketball Semifinals and Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, March 25-27.

In addition, the Free Press will provide the Association with advertising space to promote upcoming tournaments during the months of November, December and March.

"As a result of this partnership, fans coming to selected MHSAA championships will be able to read about their favorite teams, and those teams will be provided with additional recognition for reaching the finals of those tournaments," said John E. "Jack" Roberts, executive director of the Association. "The promotional value of the package will also make everyone across the state more aware of the Association's tournaments."

"We've always felt high school sports are extremely important, so we're delighted with the partnership with the MHSAA," said Heath Meriwether, publisher of the Detroit Free Press. "These special editions are a natural extension of Mick McCabe's award-winning coverage and our annual Scholar Athlete section honoring the state's top student athletes."

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public, private and parochial high schools and junior high/middle schools. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which does not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools may participate in MHSAA tournaments conducted in 12 sports for girls and 12 sports for boys which attract approximately 1.3 million spectators each year.