State Tournament Schedule

[clifford20]

I would think that putting banners and posters of unused folded up seats is a thing of the past in that there are none and likely not many unused seats. Seating is about 2500 if there is one court and less if there is two used, maybe 1800. GLJ is correct and it has been the case every year. Putting people in the seats can correct a lot of the problems and working at it from that angle is the right thing.

 

 

I could be wrong on this, but I think it had less to do with MTSU not wanting it, and more to do with TSSAA not wanting to pay it. They lose money on this event every year I assume. Maybe it has to do with their idiotic decision to play at noon on a Wednesday. I am blown away by their stupidity. It is a slap in the face of High School Volleyball. I could deal with not playing at MTSU as long as they made the games start later in the day. i tend to agree with Pageman. MTSU was way over rated.

[Strawplainswhopper]

I havent seen TSSAA do anything right in a long while, except for the football program at Maryville AKA (THE GOLD ONE) no longer is it about the kids but the money! Maybe its time for the all schools to consider starting their own conferences and such?

[bb317]

I could be wrong on this, but I think it had less to do with MTSU not wanting it, and more to do with TSSAA not wanting to pay it. They lose money on this event every year I assume. Maybe it has to do with their idiotic decision to play at noon on a Wednesday. I am blown away by their stupidity. It is a slap in the face of High School Volleyball. I could deal with not playing at MTSU as long as they made the games start later in the day. i tend to agree with Pageman. MTSU was way over rated.

 

 

To his credit I received a reply from Mr Carter today. It basically sounds like MTSU placed such a cost prohibitive amount in front of them they had no choice. I still believe however, that an alternative could have been explored long ago. Next year will probably be spilt up anyway as the D-1 schools will have three different classes....without a doubt a Friday/Saturday event would take care of a lot of issues on the gate side... the key is communication TSSAA!!! Get started now and make it a priority...

[clifford20]

To his credit I received a reply from Mr Carter today. It basically sounds like MTSU placed such a cost prohibitive amount in front of them they had no choice. I still believe however, that an alternative could have been explored long ago. Next year will probably be spilt up anyway as the D-1 schools will have three different classes....without a doubt a Friday/Saturday event would take care of a lot of issues on the gate side... the key is communication TSSAA!!! Get started now and make it a priority...

 

 

 

Did he comment on the ridiculous start times? Now that it is at a High School, there should be no conflicts at all.

[5-Sport Dad]

Did he comment on the ridiculous start times? Now that it is at a High School, there should be no conflicts at all.

 

Surely, you jest? Now that it is at a high school, it'll be worse. We went to Seagull for a morning match - during school - and could hardly find a parking spot. Can you imagine, with school going on, the 'zoo' that'll be? And they might even get the advantage of competing on their home court. Hmmm...

 

T - The

$ - Sorriest

$ - Sports

A - Administrators

A - Around

[Strawplainswhopper]

I Agree how dumb are you to play these games during the week! But they could care less, Ronnie Carter has made a good living off the kids of Tennessee Sports, And he basically does nothing!

[LUCKYCHARM]

Hey strawplains, we agree on something. You know, it does'nt take a rocket scientist to figure this out. IF they want ot make more money at the gate, you have to look at when you are scheduling these matches. Championships on SATURDAYS!!!!!!!!

[PHargis]

State volleyball tournament moved

Games will be played at Siegel instead of MTSU

BY JEFF LOCKRIDGE ??? GANNETT TENNESSEE ??? October 21, 2008

 

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Buzz up! Tennessee's high school volleyball state finals will not be held at MTSU's Murphy Center for the first time in more than a decade.

 

An unexpected hike in expenses by MTSU led to Monday's announcement to relocate next week's finals to Siegel High School, Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association executive director Ronnie Carter said.

 

 

Unlike football and basketball, which are also held at MTSU, Carter said there was not a contract that included a fixed amount the state association would be charged for volleyball.

 

"We had a meeting about a week ago ... and we were given big changes in expenses," Carter said. "(In the past) It has been just turning around and hiring 'X' number of workers to staff, and we saw where we were being charged for a lot of additional things."

 

MTSU Senior Vice President John Cothern said direct costs for facility usage by all tenants had increased for maintenance, administrative fees and utilities.

 

"We don't charge the TSSAA any rent," Cothern said. "Yet, our utility costs have increased by 20 percent. Instead of absorbing costs, we now have to recover our costs with the state budget cuts we have been faced with."

 

Cothern said Murphy Center representatives met with TSSAA representatives "over a month ago" to discuss logistics and anticipated costs. He also said the contract for MTSU to host TSSAA events calls for free use of facilities, but that the TSSAA would be responsible for operating costs.

 

"Obviously, our costs are going up," Cothern said. "I think it was a little higher than what they wanted to pay."

 

The original schedule called for pool play at MTSU, Siegel and Blackman on Oct. 29-30 with all games moving to MTSU on Oct. 31.

 

The tournament format and schedule will not be altered, but now all games will be at Siegel and Blackman.

 

DNJ executive sports editor Greg Pogue contributed to this report.

[PHargis]

Stories now on the no weekend play are centered around Football. Many high schools have AD's who are Football Coaches and have discouraged very strongly the scheduling of Volleyball Matches on Fridays and the weekends. Some are not happy even with the matches on Thursday nights and as a compromise VB has moved some times up on Thursdays to accomodate the conflict. Some have said that matches are just not going to be scheduled to their VB Coaches on Fridays. VB is fighting for the High School entertainment dollar as much as Football and if the time is so important, how about football sharing some of their revenue with VB in return for the absence on Friday nights. This brings up another issue which is important to Female Sports in High School. The issue of not having Female Athletic Directors for Female sports has come up from time to time to level out the finance issues and time sharing problems. It has permeated itself now in the upper echelons of the TSSAA who has a Director of Volleyball that is female but how much clout does she have when the upper echleons are so Male Sport Dominated that a State Tournament for a sport cannot ben be held on a Friday Night. Instead of calling it Friday, lets designate the day as Football day and share the proceeds not generated with the Female dominated sport of Volleyball. I can remember that not to far back, Thursday night football did not even exist and now football wants to exist the whole weekend and would be even stronger if colleges didn't play on Saturday. If so much of this is important, and it may be, share the wealth and i am sure VB will find some ways to help but to not let the market say what might be important when scheduling a State Tournament is discouiraging. Wonder what event MTSU had on that Saturday that was wanted for a State Tournament. I haven't looked at the schedule but was there a football game involved. MTSU now is out of the plan. With all of these hassles, it is no wonder Title 9 came into play. Co AD's for Womens and Girls athletics may be the answer for Schools to get the recognition. For over 300 schools to have a sport and AD's say another sport cannot be scheduled is unusual. Who is scared of who?

[Strawplainswhopper]

Hey strawplains, we agree on something. You know, it does'nt take a rocket scientist to figure this out. IF they want ot make more money at the gate, you have to look at when you are scheduling these matches. Championships on SATURDAYS!!!!!!!!

 

 

Cant believe that MTSU Charged to much, ill bet you the The football games will be held their or should I say the (Maryville hand me the championship) good luck to you guys in football

[whosaftervic]

As a former college coach and asst AD, if this was a last minute change or cancellation, getting facilities at Belmont or Lipscomb on short notice would be impossible for an event this size. You have classes and teams that use the courts, meeting rooms, hospitality, food and vending, tech support, etc. At a high school you basically need two people to support the idea, the principal and the AD. You have far more sign offs and hoops to jump through at a university.

 

BTW, I went to my first TN state tournament last year (I'm a transplant) and I'd echo the comments regarding the venue drawing away from the event. I believe I described it to my west coast buddies as a cavernous domed meat locker (was it me or was that place freezing?)

[RogerHBrock00]

I could be wrong on this, but I think it had less to do with MTSU not wanting it, and more to do with TSSAA not wanting to pay it. They lose money on this event every year I assume. Maybe it has to do with their idiotic decision to play at noon on a Wednesday. I am blown away by their stupidity. It is a slap in the face of High School Volleyball. I could deal with not playing at MTSU as long as they made the games start later in the day. i tend to agree with Pageman. MTSU was way over rated.

 

I think that the bulk of the problem is the cost of electricty of a large arena like Murphy may be up a thousand dollars over last year. My bill for my home and business went up $80 miimum since September and to use that huge arena for 2-3 days for 12 hours a day is costly.

 

The volleyball venue is AMG. It is dedicated to volleyball. Seats app 2500 when packed. It is a far better place to play with the size of the crowd that goes to the state tournament on Tueday, Wednesday, Thursday, and am Friday.

 

We played Western Kentucky monday with an almost full gym with a pep band and it was a blast. It was what a state championship should have looked like the last 20 years. With bleachers in a u shape around the floor the crowd enjoyed razzing the opposing players. When several Western players missed serves the crowd got louder because they actually thought they had something to do with it.

 

I dought that high schools would be able to use it becuase of resistance from MTSU coaches but I would at least ask.

 

I wonder why we were not using it anyway to get all of the tournament on campus Also MTSU just completed a new rec center addition. I wonder if they have courts in there or would let us use sport courts. All matches need to be on campus and MTSU would be the ideal place to hold it.

 

Another idea would be to bring it back to Chattanooga at McKenzie arena and big Mac. There is an aux gym in Big Mac so that you could have 4 courts. Nealy and ER parents would run it so that you know it would be outstanding. Big Mac seats 3500 very nicely and would be a great place for the championship games. If you push back the lower seats it would seat 7,000 and you have at least 8 sport courts and every one would have a geat view.

 

Also you could use sport courts in the Chattanooga Convention Center We could get the tournament over in one day to really cut cost.

 

Suggestions:

 

Why is the state tournament played during the week. Is this the only sport that has its championships during the time where there is the lowest attendance, no tv, no, hype, inability to bring kids or fans from the schools, or bring the bands and cheerleaders? What about the parents and grandparents getting off work in the middle of the week.

This is a title 9 issue. Volleyball is matched up with football in most title nine issues. The GIRLS should get the same consideration as the boys. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. The boys need to play the football championships on the high school fields too!

 

Playing this on the home court of two possible contenders stinks and it is not fair.

 

It seems the prevailing attitude among the powers that be is it is unimportant and we need just to get it over with each year where we can get on to the important stuff, say like the football championships. We need someone running this show who is a promotor, Every team has a pep band, line the upper level of Murphy with games, volleyball contest, (serving, verticals, prizes, give away door prizes (gas cards anyone) history of state volleyball, ring of honor, maybe an alumni game of former stars on sport courts, autograph stations of former stars, apparell shows like they have at club ball. Let people sell vb stuff flea market style, give away a scooter or golf cart, honor the old time coaches, Have any and every type of technology you can get your hands on.Give away food coupons for the consession stands. Go for all the free publicty you can get. I know all media does public service anouncements. If you make it an important event worth the $7.00 bucks people will come. After all we pay 9-10 for a first run movie.

 

All volleyball players get in free, encourage them to attend, let teams come as a team, in uniforms top, let them sit together and. If they wear their uniform give them a food coupon for a free coke. Some of their parents will come and they will pay. Lots more money will be spent on other stuff by them since they got in free. Encourage this all over the state and honor the teams sometime during the games. Please bring all of the bands you can get. some of there parents will come. Choose a band to pay during the break in the games.(Have all of the games start at the same time if using multiple courts) Make sure the event is ran on time and is professional in every aspect.

 

Have you been to a band contest and see first hand the number of people they bring. Once you see a good vb game you come back next time for the game itself.

 

I bet all of you vb fans can come up with ideas to make this championship feel important. Nothing will work if we don't get some seats filled.