State football championships staying put at Home Depot Center

The Home Depot Center in Carson will remain the host site for the 2008 and 2009 CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games presented by Farmers, CIF Executive Director Marie M. Ishida has announced.

"CIF has entered into a partnership with Home Depot Center and looks forward to having a home for our state football championships that not only offers a facility to continue producing an event that includes more than a football game, but also provides a home for our ancillary events, which currently include a cheerleading competition and coaches clinic," Ishida said.

All five games will be played over two days, Fri. and Sat., Dec. 19 and 20. Selection of this year's participating teams will be made Sun., Dec. 14.

The CIF Federated Council agreed in January to increase the championships from three divisions to five beginning this year, increasing to 10 the number of teams that will compete for a state football championship.

The exact format of the five games is likely to be determined in mid-May, though it has been recommended that one contest feature an "Open Division" pitting the top team from Northern California against the top team from Southern California, as selected by the Section Commissioners, regardless of school enrollment.

A team still must be a CIF Section champion to be eligible for selection to the state football championship. Last year, there were a total of 47 CIF Section champions- 23 from Northern California and 24 from Southern California.

In addition, the UCA/ Macy's California State Cheerleading Championships and a Coaches Clinic sponsored by NIKE will continue as ancillary events to the state football championships.