Winter Tournaments Begin on MHSAA TV

February 11, 2020

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

Unprecedented coverage of MHSAA Winter Tournaments begins this week on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network, as the number of member schools using Pixellot to stream live video grows.
 
You can always reach a list of the upcoming tournament games by Clicking Here.
 
The action begins Wednesday and Thursday nights (Feb. 12-13) with coverage of Team Wrestling Districts at the following locations: Brighton, Chesaning, Detroit Catholic Central, East Grand Rapids, Flint Kearsley, Fowlerville, Grandville, Ishpeming, Linden, Livonia Clarenceville, Madison Heights Lamphere, Niles, Otisville Lakeville, Petoskey, Saginaw Heritage, Saginaw Swan Valley, St. Joseph and Walled Lake Western. Regional sites with live streaming video will be determined following the District round.
 
The Upper Peninsula Swimming & Diving Finals take place Friday and Saturday (Feb. 14-15) at Marquette High School. Diving activity begins at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, and all of the swimming events will take place on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.
 
On Saturday, there will be live streaming video at the following Individual Wrestling Districts: Fenton, Fremont, Manchester, Montrose, New Lothrop, Stevensville Lakeshore and Williamston. Grandville will be the only Regional site streaming live video.
 
The wrestling and swimming action is part of a week of more than 400 live events on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network. You can Click Here to look at the latest list of all upcoming varsity games.       
 
Now in its 11th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – The NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program. 

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website. 

Montrose Junior Named NFHS Network's Best

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director emeritus

April 26, 2017

Eric Vandefifer, a junior at Montrose High School, was named today the Best Student Broadcaster nationally in the NFHS Network School Broadcast Program Awards. 

For the second straight year, James Kitts, the coordinator of the School Broadcast Program at Montrose, was a finalist in the Teacher of the Year category.

Just last week, Montrose was named the “Program of the Year” in the MHSAA’s School Broadcast Program Excellence Awards for 2016-17, claiming the top honor for the fourth straight year.  Montrose took first place in four categories.

Vandefifer also was honored recently by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association as the top Student Broadcaster in Division 3. Vandefifer and his broadcast partner David Sackrider placed second in the Play-By-Play Category in the MHSAA SBP awards and first in the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation Sports Announcing Team category this year.

In its eighth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. 

The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.  

All sporting events – live or delayed – are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.

Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of live video streams being produced by SBP members (All times Eastern):

Wednesday, April 26

Thursday, April 27

Monday, May 1

Tuesday, May 2

Be sure to check the Upcoming Events page at MHSAA.tv for schedule additions every day.

The NFHS Network has announced new pricing for 2016-17, eliminating the Day Pass and lowering the cost of a Month Pass to $9.95. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.

PHOTO: Montrose's Eric Vandefifer (left) and Conner Pyrc call an MHSAA Girls Soccer Semifinal last season for the NFHS Network. (Photo courtesy of Montrose High School digital media.)