National Select 7on7 Championship Series June 26, 2013

Susan Walker Public Relations/Media Coordinator

Tupelo Welcomes Top Football Programs for Select 7on7 Tournament Tupelo, MS Top High School Football Programs from the state and region are heading to Tupelo, MS for the 1st Annual Mississippi National Select 7on7 Qualifying Tournament (QT) presented by the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau. The event, scheduled for June 28-29 at James L. Ballard Park, is one of 13 National Select 7on7 QTs to be held this summer throughout the U.S. The winner of this QT will go on to play in the National Select 7on7 Championships held in Hoover, AL July 24-26. There has been a need in Mississippi for a 7on7 tournament with a purpose. The National Select Championship series is an elite competition, and is an excellent way for teams to compete against local, state, and regional teams throughout the summer. said Seth Gaines, Director of Sports Development for the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Mississippi 7on7 QT will kick-off with pool play on Friday, and then go into a double-elimination tournament finishing on Saturday. Teams will be seeded for the tournament based on the number of wins they get during pool play. Each game will be 21 minutes with two MSHAA officials on the field at all times. The winner from the qualifying event will be given a bid to compete against 32 of the best High School football teams in the country at The National Championships. The Series is excited to be hosting a new qualifying event in Tupelo, MS this year, Brandon Sheppard, Executive Director, National Select 7on7 Championships, says. We are always looking for ways to increase the Select7on7 series footprint. We want to include teams from all over the country and the Qualifying Tournament format gives exposure to different programs from that footprint. The National Select 7on7 Championships presented by Under Armour is the premiere team 7on7 in the country. In its 11 years, Select 7on7 has created an alumni roster that reads like a whos who of college and professional football. This year will be no different with an exceptional field of players and teams coming to Hoover, AL to compete for the National Title. National Select provides excellent sponsor participation and is focused on player safety. Tupelo is excited to host the very first National Select 7on7 qualifying tournament in the state of Mississippi, said Gains. Mississippi Teams Participating in the Mississippi 7on7 QT are: Callaway, Center Hill, Oxford, Shannon, Starkville, Tishomingo County, and Tupelo. Additional teams competing in the event are Florence, Gadsden City, and Florence, all from the neighboring state of Alabama. For more information on the National Select 7on7 Championship Series visit www.select7on7.com. Follow Select 7on7 on Facebook and Twitter @select7on7 and @MS_state7on7. PlayOn!Sports will be streaming this QT and the National Championships live on www.select7on7.com.