Hoopfest returns Thursday to Jenison
March 21, 2012
March Magic Hoopfest will return to Jenison Field House for this weekend’s Michigan High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Finals, marking the fourth year the event has run concurrent with the games being played at Michigan State’s Breslin Center.
A number of favorite attractions will return this weekend, including slam dunk (on lowered rims), 3-point shootout and rainbow shot areas where fans can come at any time and participate. Also returning is the Hall of History, showcasing championship games, life-size photos and display boards from throughout the MHSAA Finals’ near century-long run.
A large video screen will play a series of “Buzzer Beaters,” “Battle of the Fans” and other MHSAA-produced videos. Also, teams of boys and girls in grades 5-8 will play in the “JumpBall Jamboree” on two center courts.
Admission to the March Magic Hoopfest is $2 per person, and fans attending the MHSAA Boys Basketball Semifinals and Finals will be admitted free with their game tickets. Hours on March 22 and 23 will be 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.; the event is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 24. More than 12,000 fans attended the 2011 event. Jenison Field House, site of the Hoopfest, also was the site of the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals for 31 years.
The March Magic Hoopfest is being conducted in a partnership between the Greater Lansing Sports Authority, a division of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau; and the MHSAA, with vital support coming from the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Michigan State University. To find out more general information about the event, visit the March Magic Hoopfest Website at http://www.marchmagichoopfest.com.
“March Magic Hoopfest is a great partnership between the Greater Lansing Sports Authority, Michigan State and the MHSAA,” MHSAA Director of Brand Management Andy Frushour said. “The event gives fans at the Finals an opportunity to extend their championship weekend experience, and provides those who do not attend the Finals a small taste of the excitement.”
The Greater Lansing Sports Authority (GLSA) is a division of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. The GLSA’s mission is to be the leading voice of sports tourism in the Greater Lansing area and to promote economic growth by attracting a diverse range of sporting events to the region. The GLSA strives to enhance the quality of life for area residents through the development of local sports and fitness programs for all ages, and supports the continued development and maintenance of safe, high-quality athletic facilities.
"The March Magic Hoopfest sets off a great weekend of MHSAA tournament games and helps create a multi-day event which will involve the Lansing area and thousands of visitors coming to town," said Mike Price of the Greater Lansing Sports Authority. "If you're coming to the championships, Hoopfest is a destination to visit before and after the games; and if you're not coming to the games, Hoopfest is a fun, wholesome, inexpensive, family activity."
MHSAA Adjusts Fall Restart Schedule
December 22, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has adjusted its schedule to conclude Fall tournaments in football, volleyball and girls swimming & diving today after receiving full details and requirements for the pilot rapid testing program being provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) as an opportunity for teams and individuals to conclude their seasons amid a pause due to COVID-19.
Due to requirements and need for more direction from MDHHS that will be forthcoming in the next week, the MHSAA has instructed schools still participating in those sports to suspend practice immediately. The MHSAA also is working to update dates of competition to better reflect the testing schedule. Taking part is the MDHHS testing pilot is a requirement for athletes to participate in the final competitions in these sports.
Fall teams taking part in the pilot program are expected to receive rapid-result antigen tests and more instruction by Tuesday, Dec. 29. The MDHHS on Dec. 28-29 will be conducting webinars to train school personnel who will be involved in the testing process. Once the first tests have been administered on Wednesday, Dec. 30, full team practices may commence. If schools are delayed in the start of testing, those schools may begin practice once individuals have had one negative test.
With teams restarting practice Dec. 30 at the earliest, competition dates also could be rescheduled. Confirmation of updated tournament dates will be announced soon on the MHSAA Website.