THURSDAY NIGHTS THIS FALL

Alabama Public Television (APT) is expanding its coverage of Alabama High School Athletic Association football coverage into the regular season and playoffs beginning with the 2025 season, announced APT Executive Director Wayne Reid and AHSAA TV Network Executive Producer Vince Earley of Broadway Productions/WOTM.TV.

“We are excited to bring more high school football to the state with regular season and playoff games,” said Reid. “APT’s coverage of the championships have been received with great enthusiasm. We’re excited to highlight more student-athletes and the excitement of the regular season and playoffs that happen across the state every week starting in August.”

APT has broadcast the AHSAA Super 7 State Football Championships and the AHSAA State Basketball Championships live over its statewide network the past two seasons – providing live television coverage to virtually every household in Alabama, said AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon. “This helped the AHSAA reach its goal of providing live coverage to the entire state. We are grateful for our relationship with Alabama Public Television and Broadway Productions.”

The expanded coverage will include 16 additional regular-season and state playoff games on Thursday nights leading up to the finals as well as the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic and the AHSAA North-South All-Star Classic football games played in December after completion of the Super 7 championships. The AHSAA Game of the Week production will also include a pre-game program to be televised live Thursday nights at 5 p.m., each week over APT and re-shown at 6 over the AHSAA TV/WOTM.TV leading up to the kickoff each week.

The expanded coverage will begin with the AHSAA Kickoff Classic season-opening games set for August 21-22. Teams are still being finalized. APT will carry the regular-season AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week each Thursday. When the playoffs begin, APT will also carry the AHSAA TV Network Playoff Game of the Week each Friday night – culminating with the football broadcasts with the 2025 Super 7 State Championships to be held at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium December 3-5.

“Beginning with the 2025 season, the Kickoff Classic, and the AHSAA/WOTM 10 Game of the Week contests and four playoff games will be simulcast on Alabama Public TV and WOTM.TV,” said Earley. “We are excited to be able to bring these events to virtually every household in the state via the reach of APT. This will allow us to showcase schools from every corner of the state.” All the games will continue to be live video streamed over the NFHS Network as well.

Earley also announced that Mickey Shadrix, who has worked in Alabama’s television broadcast industry for more than 25 years, is joining Broadway Communications, the parent company of WOTM.TV and AHSAA TV. “We are proud to add him as our Director of Communications and Special Events,” said Earley. “His expertise will be invaluable moving forward, especially with these projects.”

Shadrix, who has been the play-by-play announcer for the AHSAA Game of the Week, is excited about the upcoming expansion of coverage.

“Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for high school sports in Alabama,” he said. “With this expanded partnership between the AHSAA TV Network and APT, more schools and student- athletes will receive statewide recognition. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the enhanced coverage for high school athletics across our state.”

Alabama Public TV/AHSAA TV NETWORK 2025 FOOTBALL TELECAST SCHEDULE
AHSAA Kickoff Classic – Aug. 21-22
AHSAA TV Network Games of the Week: Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 11, 19, 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
AHSAA Playoff Games of the Week: Nov. 7, 14, 21, 20
AHSAA Super 7 State Championships: Dec. 3, 4, 5
AHSAA North-South All-Star Classic: Friday, Dec. 12
Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic: Saturday, Dec. 13