The Rise of the Mason Dixon Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association (MDSDAA)

Mason Dixon Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association was established in 1953 with 11 members from southeastern schools.

‣Alabama School for the Deaf
‣Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf
‣Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
‣Georgia School for the Deaf
‣Kentucky School for the Deaf
‣Louisiana School for the Deaf
‣Mississippi School for the Deaf
‣North Carolina School for the Deaf
‣South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind
‣Tennessee School for the Deaf
‣Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (Left 2020)

The inaugural boys' basketball tournament took place at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. The introduction of the girls' basketball tournament in 1978 led to the first event being hosted at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. These were the only two sanctioned tournaments managed by MDSDAA.

In 1985, Rick Alexander from the Tennessee School for the Deaf designed a new Mason Dixon logo in the shape of a basketball.

In 1988, MDSDAA expanded its sanctioned tournaments to include the Volleyball Tournament, which debuted at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind.

In 2012, the logo was modernized under the design of Mason Dixon IT/Media veteran, Josh Vergara, and was first unveiled at the Georgia School for the Deaf. MDSDAA has continued to grow, adding sports such as football and track & field over the years. In 2020, a new conference logo was created, encompassing all sports. This marked the birth of the Mason Dixon Conference for the Deaf, while MDSDAA retains its title as the Mason Dixon Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association for official business purposes.

In 2020, the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind departed from the charter to join the ESDAA conference, bringing the current member count to 10.

In a groundbreaking move, the North Carolina School for the Deaf made history in 2024 by hosting the first-ever combined girls' and boys' basketball tournament. Originally slated to be held at the Louisiana School for the Deaf, unforeseen circumstances prevented this historic event from taking place as planned. A storm damaged the gym's roof and caused water damage to the main gym floor, making it impossible for the Louisiana School for the Deaf to host the tournament. Stepping up to the challenge, the North Carolina School for the Deaf took on the responsibility of hosting the event and did so with great success. Furthermore, the Louisiana School for the Deaf has pledged to make a comeback by hosting the combined tournament in 2025.

The Mason-Dixon Cheerleading Competition History

The cheerleading competition at the Mason-Dixon Basketball Tournament began as a friendly gesture by the Tennessee School for the Deaf cheerleaders and their sponsors. In 1965, when the tournament was held at TSD, the TSD cheerleading squads supported visiting teams by wearing the colors of the "adopted" team over their TSD uniforms. This idea was well received and the concept of cheerleaders at the tournament caught on. Coaches and others involved with the tournament believed that the cheerleaders added to the spirit of the competition and provided something for the cheerleaders to look forward to.

In 1971, a championship trophy was formally adopted, and the initial trophy was won by TSD. The cheerleading competition developed into a lively rivalry among the eleven southeastern schools, with Florida winning the trophy in 1972 and Kentucky School for the Deaf winning in 1973. From 1974 to 1976, the TSD squad captured the trophy each year.

Recognizing the increasing popularity of the cheerleading competition and the developing high levels of skill, in 1978, it was decided to introduce a Traveling Trophy to be awarded to the winning team. This trophy was named the Miss Cobb Traveling Trophy in honor of Miss Regina Cobb of the Tennessee School for the Deaf. It would be awarded to the team with the most wins after 20 years. It was also decided that individual trophies would be awarded to the winning team members.