High School

GHSA's football state championships draws record attendance numbers

The combined overall attendance was the most since the 2016 state championships

Andy Villamarzo

To say folks were excited to get back into Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the 2023 Georgia High School Association's (GHSA) football/flag football state championships might be an understatement. 

The showcase of the best high school football the Peach State has to offer culminated with record-setting attendance numbers from Dec. 11-13, as fans flocked to downtown Atlanta. 

Coffee football coach Mike Coe enters rarified air by winning state titles in Florida & Georgia

According to Georgia High School Football Daily, the combined overall attendance for the eight 11-man state championships plus three flag football state title games was 50,622 paid onlookers. The total is the best ever attended state championships since 2016 (47,922) when they were held at the Georgia Dome.

Below are the total overall attendance numbers between 2008-2023. 

Information provided by Georgia High School Football Daily's newsletter 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

*2023 – 50,622 (8 games + 3 flag)

Center Parc Stadium

2022 - 40,462 (8 games + 3 flag)

2021 – 22,631 (8 games + 3 flag)

2020 – 24,476 (8 games + 2 flag)

2019 – 28,011 (8 games)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

2018 – 40,463 (8 games)

**Mercedes-Benz Stadium

2017 – 41,202 (8 games)

Georgia Dome

2016 – 47,922 (8 games)

2015 – 46,312 (7 games)

2014 – 45,744 (7 games)

2013 – 43,989 (7 games)

2012 – 40,326 (7 games)

2011 – 40,401 (5 games)

2010 – 44,154 (5 games)

2009 – 36,685 (5 games)

2008 – 37,659 (5 games)

*Paid attendance

**Six games moved to high school fields because of a snow storm

“Pleased but not surprised,” GHSA executive director Robin Hines said Thursday to GHSF Daily. “The move back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium was well-received. After all, it’s the world’s best venue. The games played on Monday-Wednesday worked well and placed a spotlight on our games throughout the country.”

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivega

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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