The Big House Classic: Where Mississippi’s Best Come to Win

Some of Mississippi’s finest high school basketball athletes made history this past week at The Big House in Jackson, Mississippi, and they had fun while doing so. 

The history-making fun at the Mississippi Coliseum (affectionately known as The Big House) started on Monday, March 2, with the semi-final games of the 2026 Mississippi High School Activities Association’s (MHSAA) Big House Classic. But Thursday night finals were the season’s culmination, starting with the first match-up of the 14 high school state basketball championship games. 

Representing each of the MHSAA divisions (1A-7A), the final 14 battles for the championship Gold Ball trophy embodied everything that high school basketball players across our state work each year to achieve. And these athletes and coaches were a true representation of all the great athletes, coaches, and high school basketball programs throughout out state. After all, it took a lot of hard work, dedication, and competitiveness to punch a ticket to the Mississippi Coliseum for the 2026 MHSAA Big House Classic. 

The yearly trip to The Big House for the state championship basketball tournament is a Mississippi tradition that is longed for and coveted by our state’s high school athletes. The Big House Classic is the goal from Day One, the motivation and desired end of countless daily practices on basketball courts in high schools throughout our state. 

For those who have never attended the championship games or any of the other various events held at the Mississippi Coliseum, this all-season arena is located on the grounds of the Mississippi State Fairgrounds at 1207 Mississippi Street in Jackson, Mississippi. It was built in 1962, and currently seats 6,500, but it can be rearranged with temporary seating to accommodate up to 10,000 individuals. (And here’s an interesting statistic: The Big House is supposedly located atop the extinct Jackson Volcano.)

First built in honor of World War II veterans, the Mississippi Coliseum has undergone several remodeling projects, most recently from 2019 to 2020. An earlier renovation project in the mid-1990s created some controversy when the facility’s large yellow and red polychrome panels were removed and replaced with mirrored glass. The iconic yellow and red panels were an iconic sight for travelers passing through our state’s capital, so their loss was not a welcome change for many Mississippians.

Eventually, this gorgeous state-of-the-art facility forged its place in the hearts of our citizens, especially our high school athletes. Each year, these young Mississippians look forward to taking their turn on the basketball courts of The Big House in hopes of carrying the coveted Big Gold Ball trophy back home each year to their respective schools.

Here are the final scores of each of the 14 final games in the 2026 MHSAA Basketball Championships at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson:

Championships

One athlete from each of the 14 state championship teams was named “Most Valuable Player.” For interviews with some of those MVPS and their coaches, go to the official Facebook page of Blake Levine, Sport Reporter: https://www.facebook.com/blakelevinesports/.

Most Valuable Players of The 2026 Big House Classic

1A Girls’ MVP – Daylen Grisham, Ingomar

1A Boys’ MVP – Jaylon Jackson, Calhoun City

2A Girls’ MVP – Marley Clayton, East Union

2A Boys’ MVP – Jamarion Johnson, Northside

3A Girls’ MVP – LaMaya Southward, Booneville

3A Boys’ MVP – Rafael Cohen, St. Stanislaus

4A Girls’ MVP – Meg Moore, Tishomingo County

4A Boys’ MVP – Tay Reese, Morton

5A Girls’ MVP – Kayliss Walker, Laurel

5A Boys’ MVP – Tylan Brown, Columbus

6A Girls’ MVP – Chloe Dorsey, Olive Branch

6A Boys’ MVP – Adam Griffin, Pascagoula 

7A Girls’ MVP – Jada Gay, Starkville

7A Boys’ MVP – Jerwan McCarter, Starkville.