Wrestling Finals Ticket Sales Underway
February 14, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Fans wishing to purchase advance tickets for the 2017 Michigan High School Athletic Association Team and Individual Wrestling Finals may now do so through the host sites' box offices, from Central Michigan University for Team Wrestling Finals and The Palace of Auburn Hills for Individual Finals.
CMU will host the Team Quarterfinals on Feb. 24 and Semifinals and Finals on Feb. 25, and tickets are available through CMU Ticket Central. Quarterfinal tickets cost $8 and one ticket is good for all 16 matches, starting with the Division 4 session at noon. Semifinal tickets cost $10 and are good for both sessions of that round beginning at 9 a.m.
Team Finals tickets also cost $10 and are good for both sessions – new this season, the four Finals will be split with Divisions 1 and 4 competing at 3:30 and Divisions 2 and 3 wrestling at 6 p.m. All-session tickets good for all matches both days cost $20.
Tickets for this season’s Individual Finals from March 2-4 at the Palace of Auburn Hills are available exclusively through The Palace Ticket Store. Only all-session reserved seat tickets will be sold, at a cost of $55 each plus applicable handling charges.
Remaining single-session reserved and general admission tickets will go on sale Feb. 27 through The Palace Ticket Store. Single-session reserved seat tickets are priced at $12 each, and general admission seats in the upper bowl of the arena are priced at $11 per session and include in and out parking privileges.
Spectators ordering reserved seat tickets for the Individual Finals must designate the wrestling division they prefer to watch, which will result in their ticket assignment being in full view of the mats being used for that competition. For Divisions 3 and 4, the seats will be on the side of the arena opposite the mat placement, providing an unobstructed view of those mats.
Links to both box offices can be found on the Wrestling page of the MHSAA Website. Individual Finals tickets also may be charged by phone to American Express, Discover, Visa and MasterCard by calling (248) 377-0100.
Council Approves Winter Schedule Update
December 23, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association today approved an adjusted regular-season calendar for indoor Winter sports, which under current Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) orders may restart their seasons Saturday, Jan. 16.
All Winter sports activity had been paused by MDHHS on Nov. 18 to decrease spread of COVID-19. Girls and boys alpine skiing, with all activity taking place outdoors, was allowed by MDHHS to resume its season Monday (Dec. 21) and remains underway. If the MDHHS pause ends, indoor practices may begin again Jan. 16, with first competitions Jan. 22 for basketball, bowling, ice hockey and swimming & diving; and Jan. 25 for competitive cheer, gymnastics and wrestling.
The Council also approved one-year changes to competition limits in ice hockey and wrestling. In hockey, teams may play two games on one non-school day on two dates this season – with four games total during those two weeks when this opportunity is utilized. Wrestling teams are allowed two dates of competition per week this season, with competition limited to four teams at a site (and three matches per student per day of competition).
The Council also approved changes to the Winter tournament schedule pushing championships in most sports back to allow for regular seasons to be extended due to the late start. Following are the updated dates:
Boys and Girls Basketball
Girls Districts - March 8, 10 and 12; Boys Districts - March 9, 11 and 13
Girls Regionals - March 16 and 18; Boys Regionals - March 17 and 19
Girls QF, Semifinals and Finals - March 22 (QF), March 24 (Semifinals- 2 Sites) and March 26 (Finals)
Boys QF, Semifinals and Finals - March 23 (QF), March 25 (Semifinals- 2 Sites) and March 27 (Finals)
Bowling
Regionals - March 19-20
Finals - March 26-27
Competitive Cheer
Districts - March 5-6
Regionals - March 13
Finals - March 19-20
Gymnastics
Regionals - March 20
Finals - March 26-27
Ice Hockey
Regionals - March 15-20
Finals - March 25-27
Girls & Boys Swimming & Diving
Upper Peninsula Girls & Boys Swim & Dive Finals - Feb. 27
Lower Peninsula Boys Dive Regionals - March 18
Lower Peninsula Boys Finals - March 26-27
Wrestling
District Week - March 1
Regional Week - March 8
Team Finals - March 19-20
Individual Finals - March 26-27
Currently, the start dates of Spring sports are not affected. If current orders further delay activity beyond Jan. 16, the MHSAA staff and Representative Council will devise updated plans that address both Winter and Spring sports. If current orders are amended to allow activity to begin earlier, the first days of practice and competition will be moved up accordingly.
“The Council has been working to give schools as much local flexibility as possible while putting together their winter seasons schedules,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “This flexible planning has been required of us all since June, and we will continue to advocate for kids in all seasons with our continued goal of three seasons played to completion.”