Kids from all over the state hope to one day step onto the court at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center and knock down a 3-pointer from the corner in a state championship game, but for now that dream will remain just that.

Just one week after the North Central Jets won their third straight Class D championship in East Lansing, the MHSAA’s contract with MSU has come to an end. And it doesn’t look like it will be renewed any time soon.

This is probably a wise decision as a big conflict occurs regularly between the two parties. The Michigan State women’s basketball team has had some success the past few years, and when the NCAA changed its tournament format back in 2015 to give the top four seeds home court in their first two regional games, things got interesting.

Last year, the Spartans earned one of those seeds but due to scheduling conflicts with the high school finals, they had to play on the road at a lower-seeded team. Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal recently pointed out that MSU athletic director Mark Hollis insisted this conflict wouldn’t occur a second time and the MHSAA probably doesn’t want to deal with an angry and powerful AD.

Maybe the MHSAA could change its girls and boys schedules so that this wouldn’t be a problem for the Spartans, but it might be difficult to pull off. So that leaves the high schools searching for a different destination, and as Couch pointed out, each one has its problems.

One option is to dump the idea of playing on a college campus and play at a location that won’t have a scheduling issue, such as the brand-new Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit or Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

This is a decent option, but both don’t exactly create the inspiration that the Breslin does.

Another possibility could be working out a deal with the University of Michigan, which would be a fun idea. Crisler Arena is a nice facility and that could inspire other deals with the school, like moving the hockey finals to Yost Arena, which would probably be a more entertaining venue.

Playing at a Mid-American Conference school is another idea. The girls finals have been played at both Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan, and going to Western Michigan in Kalamazoo could be a nice change of pace.

Another Kalamazoo venue is the Wings Event Center where the ECHL team plays. The capacity is small at a little more than 5,000, but it’ll make the stands not look as sparse on TV as they do every year at the Breslin.

Moving to a smaller facility like the ones on MAC campuses or the WEC makes the most sense. The schools and towns could easily fill the lower sections and it creates a better atmosphere for the kids to play under. It may not have the allure that the homes of the Spartans or the Wolverines may have, but it’s still adequate.

I covered high school sports in Illinois for three years and the championships there have been played at Illinois State and Bradley, two schools that barely register on a national scale and don’t even play football.

It didn’t create the greatest image to dream of for the ‘ballers in the state, but the Illinois High School Association knew that playing in an almost-empty arena was kind of pointless.

Ultimately, the best-case scenario would be for MSU and the MHSAA to come together and find a solution. Couch wrote about how coaches at this year’s Breslin games feel like it’s important for the kids to play there and it creates a moment that they will remember forever.

Hopefully, an agreement can work out for everybody, but right now, like Dorothy in the famous movie, the Wonderful Land of Iz(zo) will remain just a dream.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.