OXFORD, Miss. (U-WIRE) -- The annual Mayor's Trophy baseball game will be played next season as a result of recent negotiations. The non-conference showdown between Ole Miss and Mississippi State for the Mayor's Trophy has been held in Jackson every year since 1980.

Last month, however, Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco and MSU skipper Ron Polk announced the game would be indefinitely cancelled because it had become too much of a hassle.

The independent-league Jackson Senators have since agreed to take over the game's administration. With the agreement, the Senators and the city of Jackson announced July 2 that they have secured a deal with both schools that will keep the matchup alive for the next three years.

"We're tickled that the game is going to remain for at least three years and hopefully more," said Jackson's director of parks and recreation Ramie Ford." We never lost the game, and we're just glad its going to continue."

Under the deal, both schools are guaranteed $17,000 in 2003 -- with a $1,000 per year increase for the next two years -- or 45 percent of the ticket revenue, whichever is greater.

The 2003 matchup will be held April 2 at Smith-Wills Stadium.

After the Double-A Jackson Generals left town in 1999, and the independent Jackson Diamond Kats folded in 2000, Smith-Wills was without a permanent tenant. This made the management of the game too burdensome for the participants.

"The pro baseball team in Jackson left and there was no one down there to administer the baseball game," Polk said. "There were problems like the field not being ready to play and holes in the pitching screen."

Although the Senators helped with last season's game, Polk and Bianco had already made their decision.

"Last year, the Senators did a good job but Coach Bianco and I had already decided," Polk said.

The news caught Ford off guard.

"It was a shock to us because we found out about it before we knew there was any inclination that it could be cancelled," Ford said. "I started contacting the university to see what could be done, what the issues were for both schools and what could be done to fix it."

Thus began the discussions between Ford, Bianco, Polk and Senators general manager Craig Brasfield.

"A lot of credit is due to the Jackson Senators, who will be responsible for taking care of the game day administration," Ford said. "It was just a lot of things the schools had to do."

Polk said the Senators will make things much easier.

"They gave us a deal where we get money for going down there, and they will sell the tickets, take care of the parking lot and get the PA announcer," Polk said. "They initiated it, and we got together and said 'we don't want to lose the game.'"

Ford said that the game is important to Jackson.

"It means a lot because it is a big-time sporting event with two big SEC schools coming to the state capitol," Ford said. "It continues a tradition that has lasted for over 20 years. We want to have as many big time events in the capitol city as possible."

Bianco was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

In its 23 previous editions, the game has averaged 4,836 fans, including a 2002 crowd of 5,911.

(C) 2002 Daily Mississippian via U-WIRE.