ATLANTA — High school football title games in Georgia will move back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium starting next year.
Channel 2 Action News attended a news conference held by the Georgia High School Association at the Falcons stadium on Thursday afternoon. The contract will be for three years. The stadium will also hold the girls flag football championship.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium already hosts the Corky Kell Classic to start the season.
“I want to acknowledge how great a partner Georgia State has been. There are certainly areas where we will be partnering with them in the future,” GHSA executive director Robin Hines said. “As of now, we are excited to be able to come back to Mercedes-Benz. We absolutely enjoy a great relationship with the Falcons.”
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The championship games used to be played at the Falcons’ old home the Georgia Dome from 2008 to 2016. Teams later played the 2018 championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
However, the GHSA moved to Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium in 2019 citing expenses. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the cost to rent the stadium was around $500,000.
Hines said they haven’t stopped talking with the Falcons about an eventual return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We’re here. The time is right. We’re grateful with them to work with us to make this happen,” he said.
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Weather is one of the factors why the GHSA is moving back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Since the games moved outdoors in 2019, several title games experienced weather delays.
“Although we had some snow issues once upon a time, it’s nice to be able to have these things planned and not worry about the weather as much,” Hines said.
Attendance has also been an issue. Crowds at Center Parc Stadium have averaged around 27,443 while crowds at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Gold Dome averaged around 45,000, the AJC reported.
Almost 35,000 people attended this year’s championships.
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