2021-22 Broadcasts Kick Off with Big Football Weekend

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 24, 2021

Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools will be featured on more than 300 live-streamed broadcasts during this first full week of the 2021-22 school sports year, headlined by 16 broadcasts of opening-weekend football games on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network and partner Bally Sports Detroit.

Bally Sports Detroit will be providing coverage of all six games of the Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic from Oct. 26-28 at Wayne State University’s Tom Adams Field, including both Aug. 26 games on live cable television. All six Xenith games also will be available on the Bally Sports Detroit website and Bally Sports app.

Meanwhile, MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network will have live coverage of all six games from the Battle at the Big House at University of Michigan and all four games from the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium.

Here’s the schedule, with links to watch those games online:

Thursday, Aug. 26

► Battle at the Big House: Lapeer vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central – 12 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Battle at the Big House: Midland vs. Traverse City West – 3 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic: Dearborn Fordson vs. Canton – 4 p.m. – Bally Sports Detroit (also LIVE TV)

► Vehicle City Gridiron Classic: Frankenmuth vs. Goodrich – 4 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Battle at the Big House: DeWitt vs. Traverse City Central – 7 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic: Detroit Catholic Central vs. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley – 7 p.m. –  Bally Sports Detroit (also LIVE TV)

► Vehicle City Gridiron Classic: Flushing vs. Flint Powers Catholic – 7:30 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

Friday, Aug. 27

► Battle at the Big House: Midland Dow vs. Fenton – 12 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Battle at the Big House: Saline vs. Hudsonville – 3:30 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Vehicle City Gridiron Classic: East Lansing vs. Grand Blanc – 4 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic: Dexter vs. Birmingham Groves – 4 p.m. – MHSAA.tv (also available on BallySports.com/Detroit)

► Battle at the Big House: Clarkston vs. Davison – 7 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

► Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic: Chicago St. Patrick (Ill.) vs. Warren De La Salle Collegiate – 7 p.m. – MHSAA.tv (also available on BallySports.com/Detroit)

► Vehicle City Gridiron Classic: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Linden – 7:30 p.m. – MHSAA.tv

Saturday, Aug. 28

► Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic: River Rouge vs. Eastpointe – 1 p.m. – MHSAA.tv (also available on BallySports.com/Detroit)

► Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic: Southfield Arts & Technology vs. Detroit Cass Tech – 4 p.m. – MHSAA.tv (also available on BallySports.com/Detroit)

Total, more than 150 varsity football games, more than 100 varsity volleyball matches and nearly 90 varsity boys soccer contests will be available this week on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network, with production by participants in the School Broadcast Program. More than 400 MHSAA member schools are participants in the School Broadcast Program, now in its 13th year, producing games using traditional hands-on student crews or via Pixellot cameras installed at stadiums and gymnasiums across the state. Click for a complete list of upcoming events.

Other intriguing football matchups appearing on the Network include (all 7 p.m. starts):

► Aug. 26: Sterling Heights Stevenson at Rockford

► Aug. 26: Saginaw Swan Valley at Cedar Springs

► Aug. 26: Utica Eisenhower at Lake Orion

► Aug. 26: Alpena at Marquette

► Aug. 26: Edwardsburg at Montague

► Aug. 27: Clarkston Everest Collegiate at Montrose

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 a month. Subscribers have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.

Network Loaded with Playoff Action

November 3, 2020

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

To say there’s a lot of great high school action in the coming week on the MHSAA.tvMHSAANetwork.com and FOXSportsDetroit.com websites is an understatement.

More Girls Volleyball Tournament action than ever before runs throughout a week culminating with more than 50 Football Playoff games, the Boys Soccer Finals and two days of Cross Country Finals.

The Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals will take place Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6-7) at Michigan International Speedway, with a modified format. There will be two heats in each division for each gender.  The first race will include third-place Regional team finishers and individual qualifiers, with the second race made up of teams that finished first or second at Regionals. 

The Cross Country coverage is enhanced this year with an additional camera on the back of the course to better capture the first 800 meters, and the 1.5-mile and 2.25-mile marks of the race. The traditional Finish Line camera also will cover the action, with commentary from a crew of announcers. 

Here’s the schedule:

Friday – Nov. 6
Division 1 Finals - Boys at 9:30 and 10 a.m. - Girls at 11 and 11:30 a.m.
Division 2 Finals - Boys at 1:30 and 2 p.m. - Girls at 3 and 3:30 p.m.
 
Saturday – Nov. 7
Division 3 Finals  - Boys at 9:30 and 10 a.m. - Girls at 11 and 11:30 a.m.
Division 4 Finals - Boys at 1:30 and 2 p.m. - Girls at 3 and 3:30 p.m.

On Saturday the Boys Soccer Finals will have live audio and video streaming of its championship games from Novi and Comstock Park High Schools. Two games will be played at each site with the game times set for Noon and 3 p.m. The finalists will be determined following Semifinal play on Wednesday (Nov. 4), with all four of those games being streaming live video on MHSAA.tv and live audio on MHSAANetwork.com.

Lots of Football Playoff games will take place beginning Friday evening with three featured games as part of the FOX Sports Detroit “Game of the Week” and the FOX Sports Prep Zone.  All of these games can be seen on FoxSportsDetroit.com and on FOX Sports Go! for handheld and streaming devices like Roku. Here are this weekend games:

  • Hudsonville at Rockford – Prep Zone – Friday, 7 p.m.
  • Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at Muskegon Mona Shores – Prep Zone – Friday, 7 p.m.
  • Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – FOX Sports Detroit “Game of the Week” – Friday, 7:30 p.m.

MHSAA.tv will play host to more than 50 District Semifinal Football Playoff games over the weekend, most produced by participants in the School Broadcast Program with traditional student crews or Pixellot units. The NFHS Network is providing bonus coverage of one additional game on Friday – Bath at Laingsburg. Here’s the complete schedule: 

Friday - Nov. 6
Suttons Bay  vs. Whittemore-Prescott   - 6 PM
Whitehall  vs. Coopersville   - 6 PM
Montrose  vs. Chesaning   - 6:40 PM
Adrian Lenawee Christian vs. Mayville   - 6:50 PM
DeWitt  vs. Lansing Waverly   - 6:50 PM
Lowell  vs. Caledonia   - 6:55 PM
Belleville  vs. Northville   - 7 PM
Birmingham Seaholm  vs. Birmingham Groves   - 7 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven  vs. Dearborn   - 7 PM
Cadillac  vs. Alma   - 7 PM
Cass City  vs. Sandusky   - 7 PM
Charlevoix  vs. Mancelona   - 7 PM
Corunna  vs. Richmond   - 7 PM
Detroit Catholic Central  vs. Novi   - 7 PM
East Grand Rapids  vs. Holland   - 7 PM
East Lansing  vs. Portage Central   - 7 PM
Fenton  vs. North Farmington   - 7 PM
Frankenmuth  vs. Almont   - 7 PM
Freeland  vs. Midland Bullock Creek   - 7 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central  vs. Belding  - 7 PM
Ithaca  vs. Ravenna   - 7 PM
Laingsburg  vs. Bath   - 7 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere  vs. Sterling Heights Chandler Park - 7 PM
Manistee  vs. Grayling   - 7 PM
Maple City Glen Lake  vs. Boyne City   - 7 PM
Mason  vs. Fowlerville   - 7 PM
Millington  vs. Mt Morris   - 7 PM
Muskegon Mona Shores  vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central   - 7 PM – FOX Sports Prep Zone
New Lothrop  vs. Burton Bendle   - 7 PM
Ortonville Brandon  vs. Goodrich   - 7 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Detroit Country Day   - 7 PM
Portage Northern  vs. Battle Creek  Lakeview - 7 PM
Redford Union  vs. Livonia Clarenceville   - 7 PM
Riverview Gabriel Richard vs. Jackson Lumen Christi - 7 PM
Rockford  vs. Hudsonville   - 7 PM – FOX Sports Prep Zone
Romulus Summit Academy North  vs. Dearborn Heights Robichaud   - 7 PM
Saline  vs. Ann Arbor  Huron - 7 PM
South Lyon  vs. Walled Lake Western   - 7 PM
St. Joseph  vs. Battle Creek Harper Creek   - 7 PM
Traverse City Central  vs. Swartz Creek   - 7 PM
West Bloomfield  vs. Troy   - 7 PM
White Lake Lakeland  vs. Howell   - 7 PM
Zeeland West  vs. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg   - 7 PM
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek  vs. Clinton Twp.  Chippewa Valley - 7:30 PM – FOX Sports Detroit Game of Week
 
Saturday - Nov. 7
Traverse City St. Francis  vs. Harbor Springs   - 12 PM
Hemlock  vs. Bad Axe   - 1 PM
Kinde North Huron  vs. Peck   - 1 PM
Kingsley  vs. Gladwin   - 1 PM
Midland  vs. Midland Dow   - 1 PM
Pewamo-Westphalia  vs. North Muskegon   - 1 PM
Reed City  vs. Kingsford   - 1 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore  vs. Coldwater   - 1 PM
Mount Pleasant  vs. Marquette  - 2 PM
 
Girls Volleyball District Semifinals and Finals take place Wednesday through Saturday (Nov. 3-7). Separate releases will be issued with detailed Semifinal and Final coverage.
 
This week, more 250 events at all levels in a variety of sports will be available on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.TV. Monthly subscriptions are $10.99. Click for a complete list of 
upcoming games, and for a complete list of on-demand games
 
Fans also can type their school name into the search field on the MHSAA.tv page to search for events. Varsity games being streamed also have links from the MHSAA Website’s Score Center, and from the schedules on individual school pages. Clicking on the green TV set icon listed next to an event will take you directly to a game. You can also watch on Roku enabled devices.

Now in its 12th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – The NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games, but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. A portion of every subscription sold by an SBP school goes to benefit its program. 

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.