AJC Varsity

Vote: Where should the GHSA host high school football state championships?

Which matters most: experience or payout? Coaches are divided.
Bowdon captains prepare to meet Lincoln County for the coin toss during the Class A Division II GHSA football championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Atlanta. The GHSA moved the games to a neutral site — away from high schools’ home fields — in 2008. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)
Bowdon captains prepare to meet Lincoln County for the coin toss during the Class A Division II GHSA football championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Atlanta. The GHSA moved the games to a neutral site — away from high schools’ home fields — in 2008. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)
10 hours ago

For the first time, the Georgia High School Association lost money on the football state championships in 2025.

The financial deficit reignites a decades-long question: Where is the optimal place to host the finals?

And the debate involves a laundry list of considerations, including atmosphere, payouts and travel.

The GHSA moved the games to a neutral site — away from high schools’ home fields — in 2008.

In 2022, when the games were played at Georgia State, participating teams got an average $21,068 paycheck despite about one-third less attendance. For games played at Mercedes-Benz, teams get less than $10,000, in part because rent is much higher than other neutral site options.

Where do you stand on the debate? Vote below.

About the Author

Caitlyn Stroh-Page is the senior sports editor high school sports and college football at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Her resume includes stops at Sports Illustrated Kids, Scout.com, The (Macon) Telegraph, the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and the Athens Banner-Herald. A South Georgia native, Stroh-Page lives in the Athens area.

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