Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association

What Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association does

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) is a private nonprofit organization that provides exclusive statewide governance, oversight, and championship coordination for interscholastic athletics across Maryland's public secondary schools. Operating under a Master Agreement enacted by the Maryland State Department of Education and all 24 local school systems (renewed through October 31, 2031), MPSSAA sanctions 26 championship sports — including the newly elevated Girls Flag Football for the 2026-2027 academic year — and serves approximately 200+ member schools with standardized classification (1A-4A), regional alignments, sport-specific rules, and tournament structures. The association's core products are its digital platform (brackets, live scores, standings, calendars, and school directory at mpssaa.org), the Minds in Motion scholar-athlete scholarship program (18 annual $1,000 awards, $253,000+ granted since 2008), the Respect the Game sportsmanship initiative, and an official merchandise store; supporting products include coach education courses delivered through NFHS Learn.

MPSSAA operates on a hybrid nonprofit revenue model combining event-based admissions ($10 per championship ticket via GoFan, with children 6 and under free), school system membership allocations under the Master Agreement, corporate sponsorships anchored by the Baltimore Ravens ($1M+ committed to girls flag football), Under Armour (uniforms), Washington Commanders, Wilson (official ball provider through June 30, 2031), and Digital Scoreboards, plus merchandise sales through an Online Apparel partnership. The go-to-market motion is event-driven: championships and tournaments across 26 sports with streaming distributed via NFHS Network, ticketing via GoFan, and results published on the redesigned digital platform. Customer segments include student-athletes (primary), coaches and athletic directors (secondary, served via NFHS courses and rules interpretation), the 24 school system administrators (governance counterparties), and girls flag football programs as the fastest-growing use case (10 schools in 2023-24 to 132 projected by 2026-2027). The organization is led by Executive Director Andy Warner and President Dr. William Beattie, with a lean staff of approximately 6 employees supported by a Board of Control representing all 24 school systems.

Name

Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association

Legal name

Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, Inc.

Website

https://mpssaa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MPSSAA is a Maryland nonprofit that exclusively governs interscholastic athletics for all 24 public school systems under a state Master Agreement, sanctioning 26 championship sports, coordinating tournaments for 200+ member schools, and operating the Minds in Motion scholarship and sportsmanship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interscholastic Athletic Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Administration of Education Programs (923110), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/School Sport Governing Bodies (Collegiate/Scholastic Associations) (MPAKAFAG), Interscholastic Athletics (Varsity/JV Teams) (EDAJAJAA), College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB)

Keywords

• Interscholastic athletics
• High school sports governance
• Championship tournaments
• Scholar-athlete scholarships
• Sports administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Admission and Tickets: Revenue generated from admission fees to championship events and tournaments, facilitated through GoFan ticketing platform. Admission is $10 for most events with children 6 and under admitted free.
2. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate partnerships with organizations including the Baltimore Ravens, Under Armour, and Washington Commanders provide funding support for girls flag football and other programs. The Ravens have provided over $1 million in total funding support to participating school systems.
3. Merchandise Sales: Official championship merchandise including apparel, memorabilia, championship t-shirts, hoodies, commemorative pins, and banners sold through an online store partnership with Online Apparel.
4. School System Membership and Oversight: The association operates under a Master Agreement enacted by the Maryland State Department of Education along with all local school systems to provide oversight, conduct, and operation of interscholastic athletic programs. Funding comes from school system allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MPSSAA governs and coordinates interscholastic athletic programs for Maryland's 24 public secondary school systems under a Master Agreement with the Maryland State Department of Education. It sanctions 26 championship sports spanning fall, winter, and spring seasons, organizes regional and state tournaments across four enrollment-based classifications (1A-4A), and administers supplemental programs including the Minds in Motion scholarship program and Respect the Game sportsmanship initiative.

Product overview

The MPSSAA operates as a unified digital platform supporting 26 varsity championship sports across Maryland's public secondary schools. The core offering is the MPSSAA website platform which delivers real-time brackets, live scores, standings, and championship information for 200+ member schools. Supporting products include the Girls Flag Football Championship (Maryland's 26th official sport), Minds in Motion Scholarship Program recognizing scholar-athletes, the Respect the Game sportsmanship initiative, and an official merchandise store. The MPSSAA coordinates sport-specific classifications into four tiers (1A-4A) and maintains a Master Agreement with the Maryland State Department of Education through 2031 for statewide athletic oversight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Minds in Motion: Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Program recognizing students who excel both academically and in athletics, awarding $1,000 scholarships to seniors with minimum 3.25 GPA.

Products and services

• Championship Sports Programs 26 varsity championship sports sanctioned by MPSSAA across fall (Cross Country, Field Hockey, Girls Flag Football, Football, Golf, Soccer, Girls Volleyball), winter (Basketball, Indoor Track & Field, Swimming & Diving, Wrestling), and spring (Baseball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field) seasons. Open to student-athletes at all 24 Maryland public secondary school systems.
• Girls Flag Football Championship Maryland's 26th official varsity championship sport for girls, featuring three classification tournaments based on school enrollment, with state championship games held at M&T Bank Stadium by mid-November. Developed in partnership with the Baltimore Ravens and Under Armour.
• Minds in Motion Scholarship Program Scholar-athlete scholarship program awarding $1,000 scholarships to 18 student-athletes annually (one male and one female from each of nine districts), recognizing excellence in academics (minimum 3.25 GPA) and athletics.
• Respect the Game Initiative Sportsmanship initiative providing educational resources for promoting citizenship through athletics, including published guides for coaches, student-athletes, and administrators, and a Sportsmanship Plan of Action.
• Official MPSSAA Merchandise Store Online store featuring official championship apparel and memorabilia including t-shirts, hoodies, commemorative pins, and banners for all MPSSAA sports championships, powered by partnership with Northwest Designs/Online Apparel.
• MPSSAA Website Platform Central digital platform providing access to brackets, live scores, standings, calendars, school directory, championship information, handbooks, bulletins, and resources for 200+ member schools across Maryland.
• Sport-Specific Classifications Classification system dividing member schools into 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A based on enrollment for competition parity, with sport-specific alignments recommended by the Classification Committee.
• Master Agreement Administration Oversight framework enacted by Maryland State Department of Education with all 24 local school systems, providing authority for MPSSAA to conduct and operate interscholastic athletic programs statewide. Current agreement effective through October 31, 2031.
• NFHS Coach Education Courses Coach education courses available through NFHS Learn, including newly launched Fundamentals of Coaching Boys' Lacrosse and Fundamentals of Coaching Girls' Lacrosse developed in collaboration with US Lacrosse, available to coaches at MPSSAA member schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $253,000 in Minds in Motion scholarships awarded since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Baltimore RavensflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026The Baltimore Ravens partnered with MPSSAA to launch and grow girls flag football in Maryland. The partnership began with a pilot season in 2023 with 10 teams, growing to 132 projected schools by 2026-2027. The Ravens have provided over $1 million in total funding support to participating school systems and, along with Under Armour, have provided uniforms to each participating county. The Ravens President Sashi Brown stated the organization is committed to creating meaningful and equitable opportunities for girls to participate in football.
• Washington CommandersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025The Washington Commanders joined in fiscal and administrative support of Montgomery and Prince George's county public school systems during the 2025-26 academic year for girls flag football.
• Under ArmourcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Under Armour has partnered with the Baltimore Ravens and MPSSAA to provide uniforms to each participating county in the girls flag football initiative since launching the program in 2023.
• Frederick County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Frederick County Public Schools combined with the Baltimore Ravens to make the girls flag football initiative a reality with the pilot season in 2023 with 10 teams.
• GoFancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoFan is the official ticketing platform for MPSSAA championship events. Admission is $10 for most events with children 6 and under admitted free. GoFan charges a service fee independent of the MPSSAA.
• NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations)coreTechnology or IntegrationMPSSAA utilizes NFHS Network for streaming live games and accesses NFHS coach education courses and rules interpretation services. The association also participates in NFHS rules questionnaires and sport-specific questionnaires.
• Morgan State UniversityminorOthersMorgan State University hosts the MPSSAA Track and Field State Championships at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, MD.
• Stevenson UniversityminorOthersStevenson University's Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills hosts the MPSSAA Lacrosse State Championships.
• WilsonminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWilson is the official ball provider for MPSSAA sports including baseball (Wilson A1010 HS1 Pro Series SST) and soccer (Wilson Vivido), with official ball adoptions valid through June 30, 2031.
• Digital ScoreboardsminorOthersDigital Scoreboards is a sponsor of MPSSAA, supporting Maryland's student-athletes.
• Northwest DesignsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorthwest Designs is the sponsor powering the MPSSAA online merchandise store at online-apparel.com.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS): The national umbrella body that all 50 state high school associations, including MPSSAA, are members of. NFHS provides the rules, coach education, and streaming infrastructure that MPSSAA relies on, making it the closest broad-scope governance peer.

Others

• NFHS Network: Official streaming partner of MPSSAA and other state associations. While not a competitor, it's a tightly coupled ecosystem participant that determines MPSSAA's digital broadcast reach and revenue sharing dynamics.
• GoFan: Official ticketing platform used by MPSSAA and many other state high school associations. Adjacent ecosystem participant that controls the digital ticketing revenue channel for MPSSAA's championship events.

Direct peers

• Georgia High School Association (GHSA): Direct peer governing interscholastic athletics across Georgia's public secondary schools with a comparable statewide championship structure and member school network.
• Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA): Long-established state athletic association operating with near-identical mission: governing interscholastic athletics across public secondary schools in Michigan, with a comparable championship tournament structure and classification system.
• University Interscholastic League (UIL) - Texas: Texas's state-level interscholastic athletic governing body, with comparable championship structure across many sports and school system oversight, though Texas-scale is materially larger.
• Virginia High School League (VHSL): Direct geographic and structural peer as a state-level interscholastic athletic governing body for Virginia public secondary schools. Operates a comparable championship structure across multiple sports with similar school-system oversight authority.
• California Interscholastic Federation (CIF): State interscholastic athletic federation for California, operating a sectional model that parallels MPSSAA's regional alignment approach, with a much larger but structurally comparable school system membership.
• Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA): State interscholastic athletic governing body for Pennsylvania public secondary schools, with comparable Master Agreement-equivalent structure, classification system, and championship sanctioning model across dozens of sports.
• North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA): State-level governing body for North Carolina public secondary school athletics, with comparable championship sports portfolio, school system membership structure, and scholarship programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MPSSAA_Org
• Facebookfacebook.com/61570313975611
• Instagraminstagram.com/mpssaa_sport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maryland-public-secondary-schools-athletic-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association