The Montana High School Association (MHSA) has confirmed that its state championship football games will remain at the traditional host sites, ending a brief experiment with neutral‑site contests.
In a move that also reshapes the postseason calendar, Class B football playoffs are now slated for Friday night contests instead of the previous Saturday afternoon slots, while the Class B basketball tournaments have been stretched to a four‑day format that mirrors the Class C schedule.
Preserving Tradition
Girls wrestling will now be divided into two classifications, Class AA and Class A/B/C, with 16 athletes per weight class earning a spot at the state tournament, which will be staged in Billings alongside the boys’ events.
Boys wrestling will see its weight classes realigned to the 14‑class structure used by the National Federation of State High School Associations, adopting the pound brackets 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215 and 285.
The executive board approved these adjustments during a June conference call, noting that the decisions were driven by member‑school feedback and a desire to preserve longstanding venue traditions.
Stakeholders across the state have praised the decision to keep championships at familiar venues, citing community support and the logistical benefits of hosting events in locales that have long been part of the high school sports fabric.