MIAA Football Championships Move Off Gillette Stadium for 2026
Scheduling conflicts with the New England Patriots and New England Revolution force the association to find new venues within four weeks.
By Natalia Costa ·
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association will not host its high school football championships at Gillette Stadium this year. The MIAA announced the decision on Monday, ending a sixteen year run that began in 2007. The title games for Divisions 1 through 8 are scheduled to be played in four weeks, but the new locations remain undetermined.
A Gillette Stadium spokesperson attributed the change to scheduling constraints and logistics. The New England Revolution has potential home playoff games on December 2 and 5. Both teams would need to practice on the turf the day before those matches. Additionally, the New England Patriots are scheduled to host the Buffalo Bills at the stadium on December 6. The MIAA must conclude its football season no later than the first week of December due to winter sports schedules.
Reilly Christie, the Malden Catholic athletic director and state football tournament director, stated that the MIAA is assessing all options across the state. The association is looking for one or multiple fields with suitable parking, seating, locker rooms, lights, and concessions. An MIAA spokesperson said the group is working diligently to secure host sites that provide the best possible experience for student athletes and school communities.
The association received a late notice that the utilization of Gillette Stadium was no longer an option. The MIAA thanked the Patriots organization for hosting the event for nearly two decades. In response to the Gillette statement expressing hope to host the event again in the future, an MIAA spokesperson noted that the future they are dealing with is now. The group said it will do everything possible in the next four weeks to provide a memorable championship experience.
Financial factors have influenced the relationship between the MIAA and the stadium. The MIAA receives $7 out of every $20 ticket sold at Gillette. Service fees baked into ticket prices reduce direct revenues. Tournament revenues have declined in recent years while administrative costs have increased. Attendance has been inconsistent in a stadium that seats more than 64,000. Last year, poor weather resulted in a combined attendance of 16,800 for the eight Super Bowls. That figure dropped from approximately 19,000 in 2024 and around 22,000 in prior years.
Coaches expressed mixed reactions to the late change. Brian St. Pierre, the St. John's Prep coach and No. 1 seed in Division 1, called the development shocking. He noted that the organization is scrambling with a month remaining. St. Pierre, a former NFL quarterback, said that while playing in an NFL stadium is great for the kids, it stinks in terms of feeling the crowd. He said that even with 10,000 people present, the atmosphere felt empty. He suggested Boston College or Harvard as suitable alternative venues.
Jon Marshall, the Randolph coach and athletic director, wondered if nearby colleges like Curry would step up. His team finished its season in Foxborough three times in the last five years. He hopes the MIAA finds a venue of distinction for this year's games. Derek Almeida, the Fairhaven coach, said the thought of playing at Gillette drives players to work hard. His teams have been to the stadium four times in the last decade. He described Gillette as the epicenter of New England sports.
The move to Gillette in 2007 followed the installation of artificial turf by Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Kraft stated at the time that he was thrilled to host the games because the turf allowed for multiple games without destroying the surface. He expressed hope that the high school Super Bowls would become a tradition at the venue. The MIAA currently holds other championship games at various sites. Basketball games are played at the Tsongas Center in Lowell and TD Garden. Baseball finals take place at Polar Park in Worcester. Indoor track events are held at the Track at New Balance in Brighton. MIT and Boston University host swimming competitions. Soccer, volleyball, and field hockey finals are contested at high schools.
