MIAA Makes Major Announcement Regarding Massachusetts Football Playoff Games

The MIAA made a major announcement today, breaking a 19 year old =Massachusetts high school football tradition.

Hawks Vinny Mancini breaks a Foxboro tackle along he sideline. Hanover rand Foxboro play the MIAA Division 5 State Championship at Gillette Stadium on Friday Dec. 1, 2023 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Massachusetts high school football has followed one of the best traditions in all of high school sports for nearly two decades. Each year, the championship game for each division was held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.

Well, in a message sent out on Monday morning by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, it was announced that this year's games, as well as those in the future, will not be played at Gillette. This ends the tradition that has been going on since 2007.

“The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association was informed late last week that the utilization of Gillette Stadium for the MIAA football championships is no longer an option,” the MIAA said. “We thank the Patriots organization hosting this event for nearly two decades.

The timing was unruly because the brackets for each division were just released on Sunday, the day before the announcement. With the approval of the super eight rule going into effect next year, the news about the games no longer being played at Gillette, and multiple teams canceling their games in Massachusetts, there are some concerns to be had.

"Whereas the 2026 MIAA Football Tournament begins this week, we will work diligently to secure host sites that provide the best possible championship experience for our student-athletes and our school communities," the MIAA continued.

In the past, the championship games for all eight divisions have been played on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, or Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, to avoid scheduling conflicts with the Patriots.

This year, there is a chance the championship slate could be held on the Weekend of December 5. The Patriots host the Buffalo Bills on December 6, so concerns about whether or not the field could be prepared in time may factor into the MIAA's decision.

As of now, it is unclear where these games will be held. Other notable venues across the Bay State include UMass Lowell's college campus, which mostly holds indoor events. Other sports have been played at UMass Amherst, Worcester State, Boston University, and more, but nothing was more iconic than the Gillette Stadium games.

According to Kevin Stone of the New England Football Journal, some colleges are using this as an opportunity to attract more people to their campus, offering their facilities for use in the games.

"We have already heard from several local colleges interested in trying to provide a suitable experience for this year’s MIAA Super Bowls," Stone posted to his Twitter. "Could be a blessing in disguise finding some good alternatives in case this happens again in the future."

Following the news, Kraft Sports and Entertainment, owned by Robert Kraft and his family, made the following comments.

“For nearly two decades, Gillette Stadium and the Kraft family have been proud to donate the use of Gillette Stadium and host the MIAA football state championship games during the first week of December. Due to scheduling constraints and the associated logistics from the Revolution’s playoff schedule and the Patriots home game on December 6, Gillette Stadium will unfortunately be unable to host the state championship games this year. We wish all the schools, student-athletes and their families the best of luck with this year’s games and look forward to hosting this event again in the future.”