Springfield to Host MSHSAA Football & Basketball State Championships

For a number of years, you traveled to St. Louis for the MSHSAA football championship games and for the basketball title games, you made Columbia your destination.  All of that has changed. 

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) announced last week Springfield will be the host city for the 2018-2022 Boys & Girls State Basketball Championships and 2016 State Football Championships.

The basketball championships will be at JQH Arena and Hammons Student Center and football at Robert W. Plaster Stadium. It's been 20-plus years since the MSHSAA football and basketball championships have been in Springfield and Missouri State.

According to estimates from the Springfield Sports Commission, in the five years the basketball championships are in Springfield, more than 40,000 people will attend the events each year. Attendance at the football event will be about 25,000 people this fall.

Columbia hosted State Basketball Championship events for boys from 1973 through 1988 and 1992 to present and for girls from 1980 through 1988 and 1992 to present. The Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis has hosted the football championships since 1996.

MSHSAA is the governing body for high school activities in Missouri with about 580 high schools as members. The organization conducts championship-level activities in 23 activities, including sports and academic events. Learn more at www.MSHSAA.org or call 573-875-4880.