The Ohio High School Athletic Association and Pro Football Hall of Fame announced a three-year agreement for Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium to host the state football championships in a press conference from Canton Wednesday morning.
"We want our communities to have a good experience and certainly Canton is no stranger to that," OHSAA executive director Doug Ute said. "We want to be somewhere where somebody wants us. We want to be some place where football generates excitement."
Ute mentioned there is a possibility for the partnership to extend beyond the initial three-year agreement.
In 2020, Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium hosted state titles games for Division II through VII. The Division I state championship game, won by St. Xavier, was played at Fortress Obetz in Columbus.
Wyoming head coach Aaron Hancock, who led the Cowboys on a perfect season in 2018, culminating in a 42-14 win over Girard in Canton for a Division IV state championship is happy with the decision.
"Of course we had a great experience there," Hancock told The Enquirer. "The atmosphere of playing in Canton, Benson Stadium and the Hall of Fame experience is something special. I think it's a great place to have the state championships. I know the distance from Southwest Ohio is difficult, but the experience teams have after that trip to state is something they will remember for the rest of their life."
La Salle head coach Pat McLaughlin has collected hardware in Canton, as well. He led the Lancers to a Division II state championship win at Tom Benson Hall of Fame in 2019, defeating Massillon in the final, 34-17.
For that game, Lancer faithful had to drive nearly 250 miles, while Massillon's trek was less than just 10 miles down the road. McLaughlin, who is entering his fifth season at La Salle, said he'd prefer a closer venue.
"If they asked my opinion, which they didn't, I'd favor a more central location," McLaughlin said. "If the OHSAA thinks having the championships for football in Canton is best for our sport, then I support it."
Here are some other reactions to the news via social media:
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