Minnesota State High School League to Host Live Video Streaming of 2010 State High School Soccer Tournament Finals

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) will be pairing with Grand Stadium TV and KSTC-TV Channel 45 to bring to you – for the first time – live video streaming with play-by-play and color commentary of the 2010 MSHSL Soccer Tournament Championship games. Boys and Girls Class A and AA championship games will be aired live online from the Metrodome.

Last fall, IMS reported that the MSHSL was looking at the possibility of covering the soccer finals with live streaming but would first observe several other tournaments that were scheduled for online coverage in the the 2009/2010 season.

Clayton Bosquez, Vice President of Product Development for Grand Stadium TV, reported that his company has been working with the MSHSL for 3 years. Up until last year, they had produced semifinals online coverage of the state football tournament.

Last year, the MSHSL experimented covering girls volleyball in the fall, boys wrestling in the winter and boys baseball and girls softball in the spring. According to John Millea, Media Specialist for the for the MSHSL, all those projects were successful, clearing the way for the State Soccer Championship games to be covered. The broadcasts will be free of charge to the public. Replays of the streamed games can be watched through Grand Stadium TV’s website but there is a charge for replayed games.

Bosquez said Grand Stadium is in the first year of a 5-year contract with the MSHSL. He explained that the online video company has partnered with both the MSHSL and Channel 45, which is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. Hubbard is the exclusive broadcast partner of the MSHSL for state tournaments.

The Grand Stadium TV executive explained that his company provides the equipment but all off-air talent such as camera persons, audio and producers will be carried out by high school students as part of a MSHSL program. He said that Grand Stadium TV provides training to the students and his company then helps as technical advisers at the games. Play-by-play and color commentary will be talent hired by Grand Stadium TV.

Online coverage should be available by going to the Channel 45 website which Bosquez said will be undergoing an update in the coming days. IMS will also provide a link to the live video stream as well.

IMS plans on covering the state tournament again for the 3rd consecutive year. Last year IMS provided detailed game reports, photos, interviews and All Tourney teams within minutes of completion of those games. We also live blogged for all quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games. Keep watching IMS for more high school soccer coverage throughout the season.

2010 Boys and Girls State Soccer Tournament

Class A
October 27 – 29, 2010             Quarterfinals (site schedules TBD after seeding)
Quarterfinal games will be held at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at each site
November 1, 2010                  Girls & Boys Semifinals, Metrodome, Minneapolis
November 2, 2010                  Girls & Boys 3rd Place Games, Metrodome, Minneapolis
November 4, 2010                  Girls & Boys Championship Games, Metrodome, Minneapolis

Class AA
October 27 – 29, 2010             Quarterfinals (site schedules TBD after seeding)
Quarterfinal games will be held at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at each site
November 1, 2010                  Girls Semifinals, Metrodome, Minneapolis
November 2, 2010                  Boys Semifinals, Metrodome, Minneapolis
Girls 3rd Place Game, Metrodome, Minneapolis
November 4, 2010                  Boys 3rd Place Game, Metrodome, Minneapolis
Girls & Boys Championship Games, Metrodome, Minneapolis

Note:  Quarterfinal Sites will be:
Hopkins High School, Hopkins, MN  (Wednesday, October 27- Thursday, October 28, 2010)
Park High School, Cottage Grove, MN  (Thursday, October 28 – Friday, October 29, 2010)
Roseville Area High School, Roseville, MN (Thursday, October 28 – Friday, October 29, 2010)
St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN  (Wednesday, October 27- Thursday, October 28, 2010)

Games at each site will be determined after seeding process

Watch Grand Stadium TV’s video on how high school students perform the task of providing video coverage of the State Tournaments.