Practices Start Monday For Nine High School Sports
Story written by MHSAA
The fall season includes the most played sports for both boys and girls; 35,174 football players and 19,119 girls volleyball players competed during the Fall 2023 season. Teams in those sports will be joined by competitors in girls and boys cross country, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Upper Peninsula girls tennis and Lower Peninsula boys tennis in beginning practice next week.
Competition begins Aug. 16 for cross country, golf, soccer and tennis, Aug. 21 for swimming & diving and volleyball, and Aug. 29 for varsity football. Football teams at all levels must have 12 days of preseason practice – over a period of 16 calendar days – before their first game.
In girls volleyball this season, for the first time, the top two teams in each District bracket will be seeded based on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) that take into account a team’s regular-season success and strength of schedule. Those two seeded teams will be determined the Sunday prior to the final week of the regular season and placed on opposite sides of their District brackets.
Boys soccer also will see a slight change to its seeding this fall, as the entire bracket will be seeded based on MPR, not just the top two teams as in previous seasons.
The 11-Player Football Finals schedule at Ford Field also will have a slightly different lineup and earlier start times. On both Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, the first games of the day will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the final games of both days slated to start at 7 p.m. On Nov. 29, Division 8 at 9:30 a.m. will be followed by Division 4 at 12:30 p.m., Division 6 at 4 p.m. and Division 2 at 7 p.m. to conclude the day. On Nov. 30, Division 7 kicks off at 9:30 a.m., followed by Division 3 at 12:30 p.m., Division 5 at 4 p.m. and Division 1 at 7 p.m. to finish the weekend.
A few more game-action rules changes will be quickly noticeable to participants and spectators.
The 2024 Fall campaign culminates with postseason tournaments beginning with the Upper Peninsula Girls Tennis Finals during the week of Sept. 30 and wrapping up with the 11-Player Football Finals on Nov. 29 and 30. Here is a complete list of fall tournament dates:
Cross Country U.P. Finals – Oct. 19 L.P. Regionals – Oct. 25 or 26 L.P. Finals – Nov. 2
11-Player Football Selection Sunday – Oct. 27 Pre-Districts – Nov. 1 or 2 District Finals – Nov. 8 or 9 Regional Finals – Nov. 15 or 16 Semifinals – Nov. 23 Finals – Nov. 29-30
8-Player Football Selection Sunday – Oct. 27 Regional Semifinals – Nov. 1 or 2 Regional Finals – Nov. 8 or 9 Semifinals – Nov. 16? Finals – Nov. 23
L.P. Girls Golf Regionals – Oct. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 Finals – Oct. 18-19
Boys Soccer Districts – Oct. 9-19 Regionals – Oct. 22-26 Semifinals – Oct. 30 Finals – Nov. 2
L.P. Girls Swimming & Diving Diving Regionals – Nov. 14 Swimming/Diving Finals – Nov. 22-23
Tennis U.P. Girls Finals – Oct. 2, 3, 4 or 5 L.P. Boys Regionals – Oct. 9, 10, 11 or 12 L.P. Boys Finals – Oct. 17-19 or 21-22
Girls Volleyball Districts – Nov. 4-9 Regionals – Nov. 12 & 14 Quarterfinals – Nov. 19 Semifinals – Nov. 21-22 Finals – Nov. 23 |