When Will the Private Schools (DII) have ENOUGH of the TSSAA?

[WarriorFan]

I know this is talked about a little on the DII Playoff thread, but I don't think many people know about this travesty. I have been scratching my head all day thinking about this. How in the world has this happened? /mad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad.gif" /> This is horrible. You have Davidson and Harding kicking off on a school day at 1:00pm, then BA and MUS plays later at 6pm ON A TUESDAY. Again...here is the TSSAA treating DII like second class citizens. You have two teams (MUS and Harding traveling from Memphis) coming 250 miles away for a state championship. This means more than likely, they will come down on a Monday. The BA vs. MUS game will be over with around 8:30, then you have a 4 hour bus trip back to Memphis, so it is reality that the kids won't get in bed until about 2am for school the next day. more than likely, they will get Wed off or a half day. That is almost three days with some type of school missed because of this decision. Now, let's think about the parents of these kids. I don't think most bosses or companies will let employees off for the sake of an employees kid playing a state championship game almost in the middle of a work week. None of the programs knew until last Friday night they would be in the State Championship. The parents would have then gone in that Monday to ask thier companies for a couple of days off to go to this game. By the end of November, most folks personal days off from work are used up. I would be interested how many parents and the players brothers and sisters as well as grandparents, aunts and uncles will not be able to attend their one of their kid's/relatives most memorable events of their teen years?!?!? Now let's look at attendance....who in their right mind wants to travel any more than 30 miles on a work week night to see a game if they have no tie to it such as their kid playing?!?!? The first game will be going on while MOST people are at WORK!!! The attendance will be horrible. Why couldn't the games have been played at another stadium on a weekend???? There is more than MTSU's field in the Middle TN area. LP Field, TSU's field, Maybe Vanderbilt on a Sunday, most any high school field, Cumberland.... Officials knew about MTSU's schedule for a long time. This could have been worked out. Two college National Championships are decided in the great state of Tennessee every year.....the NAIA in Savannah, TN at the high school field and the DII National Championship at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, TN. If these events can be held for colleges, what is so hard about high school???

 

Since crowds appear to be next to nothing for DII State Championships, why not do it the old way and have it at one of the team's fields or maybe a neutral field so the game can be on a weekend? Unfortunately, the TSSAA appears to not really care about DII events. DII has by far superior athletes and teams as a whole except maybe Alcoa and Maryville. It appears the TSSAA would rather treat the DII schools like inferior programs since they give financial aid and are separated. I liken it to discrimination. No attendance, no TV, DII has to play on a weekday.....

 

I do a thread every year about the dwindling attendance records since the formation of 7-8 state championships. There was never better attendance than when BA would tangle with Alcoa, Riverdale or Jefferson Co. 7 state championships is a watered down system for a state the size of TN. It is a shame when you have a marquee game like the BA vs. MBA game last year in Murfreesboro and you can pick your seat pretty much anywhere in the stadium. The games don't carry the same weight because the system is watered down.

 

My guess is the DII games will have record low attendance because the player's brothers and sisters as well as possibly one or both parents won't be able to make it because of logistics. It would not be suprised if BOTH games COMBINE for less than 1,500 in attendance. This is a long way from the 18,000-30,000 BA used to play in front of for a state championship in the 80's and 90's. More than anything, the players don't deserve this treatment, as all these contenders have played the whole season for this moment to win the State Championship.

 

SHAME ON YOU TSSAA!!!

 

DII needs to get away from the TSSAA and form their own association. /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

[WarriorFan]

Valid Points. All the schools mentioned are out of school on Wednesday, except for BA which has a half day. MTSU is geographically in the middle of Tennessee. Obviously this makes it fair for everyone. LP field is not for rent, and TSU??™s field is LP field. I agree like you that the DII system is watered down. However until they stop giving scholarships and quit recruiting they can play on the same level field as everyone else.

Common Sense...you make no sense...TSU HAS a stadium on campus....it is affectionatly known as "The Hole"....many an NFL player has set foot on the field. If LP isn't for rent, why does TSU rent it? DII isn't watered down....the whole system of a state championship is watered down.

[bud]

I agree Brandon. It is a bit odd. CommonSense, I will never agree that one location (middle TN) is fair. I am one of those that thinks it should rotate around the state to a suitable facility. I will even say that a team hosting the championship game at home is best, though crowds can be too much on some stadiums.

[biznazz]

Sounds like a good idea. Georgia plays all of its semifinal games at the Georgia Dome. (They can almost pack the stadium so it pays for itself) All of the finals are played at home stadiums depending on the bracket. The stadium has to hold a certain size though.

 

Well they dont have to be a certain size if they cannot get anyone to attend because of their poor planning.It really does not make sense, work hard all season to have te championship game not live up to the hype that its supposed to be.

Remember This is the dream that all of our kids have dreamed about all of their football lives...going to a championship game...playing in a packed house....

 

Kinda like telling a girl that her wedding will be held at a Motel 6...but hey...we'll leave the light on for ya//

[WarriorFan]

TSU does not rent it!!! TSU plays its home games at LP field because it was part of the deal with the city when they built the stadium. Yes I am well aware of TSU??™s stadium and ???The Hole??? I can imagine Harding and Davidson playing there on a Friday night. They would probably elect for a day game. The other guy said it was watered down. I just agreed.

The state upgraded/rehabbed "The Hole" a few years ago, so since it is a state funded field, why not rent it out????? It is a shame. TSU has a very nice and rebuilt campus in the past 15 years. If you haven't seen it recently, you would be amazed.

 

No one said DII is watered down except you, Common Sense. It is watered down to have 7-8 State Champions in a given year.

 

Since DII is the step brother program for the TSSAA who is treated like dirt, why continue to put up with it? It is evident the TSSAA could care less about these programs. I think this Tuesday nite game may also have an "in your face" effect from the TSSAA vs. BA lawsuit being over that the TSSAA technically won although not right. Hence....the DII schools are all being punished for the challenge BA gave them in the lawsuit.

[WarriorFan]

The argument that there is no interest in DII is totally ludacris. MBA played to a nationally televised audience against Moeller, and the third most watched game on the ESPN HS series this year was BA vs. Prattville, AL. The TSSAA is behind the poor treatment of DII, and they intentionally supress the division. They give more respect to the smallest classification in DI than they do the largest and best known schools in DII.

[Indian]

If it's so terrible just leave. Is it much worse than a Friday afternoon start for Class 1A?

[Oneman]

Valid Points. All the schools mentioned are out of school on Wednesday, except for BA which has a half day. MTSU is geographically in the middle of Tennessee. Obviously this makes it fair for everyone. LP field is not for rent, and TSU??™s field is LP field. I agree like you that the DII system is watered down. However until they stop giving scholarships and quit recruiting they can play on the same level field as everyone else.

 

You should learn the difference between need based financial aid and scholarships.A reputation for excellence was the only recruiting tool needed to attract my family.I personally feel that it is the football fans of this great state that gets the short straw.U.T. fans missed a superhuman effort from B.J. Coleman in 2006.Last year they missed out on Ben (Bartholomew?)and Preston Bailey of U.T. versus Chris Jordan of alabama.These are historic moments that should be going down as classics, lost precious memories.These games are much bigger than the schools playing and DII,they belong to the world.Keep grinding your grudge axe while the world passes us by.

[Oneman]

Dude I am with you. Go, leave, get out of the TSSAA. You all can go play your state title game whenever you want. You guys get picked on all the time. It is just not fair!!!

 

Maybe DII can get the game sponsor to be Kleenex

 

I wish that people like you had the courage to admit right from wrong and enough love of god and humanity to stand up for truth.

[WarriorFan]

If it's so terrible just leave. Is it much worse than a Friday afternoon start for Class 1A?

At least it is a long weekend rather than in the middle of the week.

[Oneman]

At least it is a long weekend rather than in the middle of the week.

 

Relatives are in town and the game is televised.

[owlbooster]

Valid Points. All the schools mentioned are out of school on Wednesday, except for BA which has a half day. MTSU is geographically in the middle of Tennessee. Obviously this makes it fair for everyone. LP field is not for rent, and TSU??™s field is LP field. I agree like you that the DII system is watered down. However until they stop giving scholarships and quit recruiting they can play on the same level field as everyone else.

 

 

The field is not as unlevel as many people think, especially for true PREP schools like MBA and MUS, which give many more ACADEMIC scholarships than athletic. The TSSAA of course can not and does not differentiate between the two. It limits the number of scholarship students who can play, and it's only a few (2? 4?). It's not like the teams are loaded up with "ringers." This actually has some unfortunate effects. My best friend was a top-notch student from a poor family. He was on academic scholarship. He was also an excellent athlete but couldn't play because there were no scholarship spots available. Nowadays, there are very good athletes who end up on soccer, wrestling, swimming or lacrosse teams because there are no scholarship spots available on the major sports teams.

As far as recruiting, you are fooling yourself if you think there is none in the public schools, especially in the better, bigger programs. Sometimes you can slip into another preferred school by having only a mailing address or a "cousin" living in the district whose address you can list as a residence.