Something’s happening here, as Buffalo Springfield once reminded us, and the reasons ain’t exactly clear. But this much we know: There’s a high school sports revolution afoot in our corner of the world, the residual effect of which is for the everlasting betterment of the games our kids play.

The latest example came earlier this week when the Eastern Connecticut Conference and Mohegan Sun signed a deal moving the championship games of the boys’ basketball tournament to Mohegan Sun Arena on Feb. 26. It wasn’t long ago that New London and NFA played a boys’ final that couldn’t fill the gym at Plainfield High. Now comes news that after last season’s sellout at the ‘X’ in Waterford — resulting in about 1,000 people left outside and unable to watch — there’s enough interest to move to Neon Uncasville.

Mohegan Sun officials didn’t need to do this. But they recognize the potential in the event, thus parlaying good business sense with the dignity and decency of being a good neighbor. Tom Cantone, the vice president of sports and entertainment (and huge Penn State guy, by the way) loves the idea that kids can play basketball on the same floor that LeBron, Springsteen and U2 once played.

Again: If Cantone and his peeps sensed a lack of interest, they’d have politely declined. They didn’t. They saw the game live-streamed on theday.com from Waterford last year with 1,800 people shoe-horned into the place, watching two rivals (Dev Ostrowski and Mikey Buscetto) play for two rivals (East Lyme and Waterford). It’s called local theater. Now four schools get a chance in February.

"The mantra ‘Run to the Sun’ has been great for the (CIAC) state tournament," said Ledyard High vice principal/athletic director and ECC tournament director Jim Buonocore, whose big-picture thinking was instrumental to this partnership with Mohegan. "But for most schools, a ‘Run to the Sun’ in the states isn’t all that realistic. A league championship is much more realistic. And now four of our schools get the opportunity of a lifetime."

Buonocore said the boys’ basketball tournament is the league’s top revenue producer, netting around $13,000 last year — and that’s with many fans turned away. The move to the Sun, whose officials essentially offered the arena to the ECC for a song, should enable the league more fans and greater revenues. So while Waterford High would be denied the chance at home court in the ECC finals if the Lancers qualify, there’s a greater good for the league that helps every kid in every sport.

Why the high school sports revolution? Start with technology. The Day’s commitment to live-streaming games and the requisite professionalism of Day multimedia director Peter Huoppi and all his work have elevated the status of local sports. Kids talk about being "on TV." They know the catch phrases of GameDay voices Casey O’Neill and Keith O’Brien. "TV" was once reserved for college and pro sports. Now you can watch the kid next door.

It’s not just us. GameTimeCT, the high school sports wing of the New Haven Register and Hearst Media, has become the home office for state high school sports, incorporating print and electronic news into a must-see every day. The work of Sean Patrick Bowley, Pete Paguaga, Joe Morelli and the gang down there suggests rather declaratively that high school sports matter more now than ever.

State television stations, especially Joe Zone at Channel 3 and Erik Dobratz and John Pierson at Channel 8, devote entire highlight shows to high schools as do Noah Finz and Marc Robbins at Vantage TV. Dave Ruden (the Ruden Report) has an entire website dedicated to Fairfield County sports. Heck, even Woodstock Academy live-streams many of its athletic events now over its website. The visual medium remains the most powerful tool out there. And high school sports, quite happily, are on the radar.

Major kudos here to Buonocore and the ECC, whose agreement earlier this week has been noticed throughout the state. They still may think we’re bumpkins in other urbane parts of Connecticut, but us bumpkins have this world class thing called Mohegan Sun right up the road.

Now our kids get to play basketball on the same floor Billy Joel sang "Piano Man" for 10 sold-out shows.

And on the revolution plays. Hope you’re enjoying it. There’s plenty more room to join, too. 

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro