GHSA finals return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2023
The Georgia High School Association, in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Atlanta Falcons, announced a three-year deal Thursday to bring the football and flag football state championship games back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium beginning in 2023.
“We are excited to partner with GHSA to bring the football championships to Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” Atlanta Falcons CEO and president Rich McKay said. “Youth sports is, and has always been, a priority for the Atlanta Falcons. This announcement is a testament to the coordinated efforts of many, and we are excited to continue to support and grow the sport we all love.”
The football championship games have been held at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium the past four seasons. This year, the eight football and three flag football championships were played over three days ending Saturday.
Attendance at the open-air Center Parc Stadium has been below the standards of the indoor stadiums but peaked last week at 34,653, up more than 50% over the 2021 attendance of 22,631. The average over four years was 27,443.
The finals were held at Mercedes-Benz in 2017 and 2018 and at the Georgia Dome from 2008 to 2016.
The eight football championships drew 40,462 to Mercedes-Benz in 2018 despite being played over three weekdays to accommodate the Atlanta United soccer team’s playoff match the previous weekend. In 2017, an ice storm forced six of the eight games to be played on high school fields. Attendance at the old Georgia Dome was even higher, surpassing 45,000 each season from 2014 to 2016.
The championship games will be played on weekdays in 2023, tentatively Dec. 12-14, a Tuesday through Thursday.
“We could not be more thrilled to bring the GHSA Football Championships back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” GHSA executive director Robin Hines said. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Falcons and are especially thankful for Rich McKay, Tim Zulawski, Chris Millman and Amanda Dinkel for their commitment to high school athletics. Bringing the football championships back to MBS allows our student-athletes to compete in the best venue anywhere and will provide an experience for our athletes and fans that will be second to none.”
The COVID-19 season of 2020 and weather problems contributed to the attendance decline at Center Parc. The 2022 games were played in good weather for the most part, although the Class 4A final between Benedictine and Cedartown was played in rain that got heavy in the final moments of a 14-13 game decided on a tackle at the 1-yard line on the final play.