TSSAA selects Cookeville!

[coachh17]

Believe it or not there are people that go to the games whether their team is playing or not....

 

Being one of those people, in this economy and the rising gas prices, the extra one hour and fifteen minute driving time is not a plus....

 

Murfreesboro has been a good host and it's central location has been a plus...There was no reason to change it up...I guess we'll see what Cookeville has to offer.....I'm really doubting it can match up with the Nashville/Murfreesboro area though....

 

Maybe next time they will move it to UTM.... /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

 

It will be closer by an hour and a half for those of us in Upper East Tennessee, if anybody can reach the final!

[SEVEN]

i was there 3 years ago and the field was like hardwood. has the playing surface been changed?

 

 

Yeah. They put down new field turf whenever Watson took over the program. The playing surface is in excellent shape.

[AlcoaPride2010]

Yeah. They put down new field turf whenever Watson took over the program. The playing surface is in excellent shape.

 

That is great news for all of the teams that make it.

[13aafanatic]

They have already raised ticket prices for the play offs..But the money does make Cookeville any less a venue. I would almost bet attendance will be up this next year!

 

Attendance will be up only if they LOWER ticket prices back under $7. Doesn't look like that will happen, though. The teams playing and the matchup will have more of an impact on attendance than the location.

 

Most of the teams in the new 1A-4A that have played in the state championship recently are either from small towns (ex. Trousdale, South Pitt, Alcoa, Milan) that shut down and bring everybody to the game OR have strong traditions and fan bases (ex. Goodpasture, Lipscomb). These are the fans who would drive probably anywhere just to watch their team play for a state championship. 6A will have a huge crowd because it will probably feature a midstate team like Oakland or Brentwood. Then there might be some schools that don't bring hardly anybody.

 

Bottom line, I'm sure Cookeville will do a great job with the BlueCross Bowl.

[BigDaddy_1]

Attendance will be up only if they LOWER ticket prices back under $7. Doesn't look like that will happen, though. The teams playing and the matchup will have more of an impact on attendance than the location.

 

Most of the teams in the new 1A-4A that have played in the state championship recently are either from small towns (ex. Trousdale, South Pitt, Alcoa, Milan) that shut down and bring everybody to the game OR have strong traditions and fan bases (ex. Goodpasture, Lipscomb). These are the fans who would drive probably anywhere just to watch their team play for a state championship. 6A will have a huge crowd because it will probably feature a midstate team like Oakland or Brentwood. Then there might be some schools that don't bring hardly anybody.

 

Bottom line, I'm sure Cookeville will do a great job with the BlueCross Bowl.

 

 

I don't like the raising of ticket prices either but I don't think that is going to make a difference. Me and some buddies travel at least 125-200+ miles each week each year of the playoffs for the last 4-5 years to watch some great football until the championships as we get to pick and choose what game we plan on going to. We are planning on doing the same this year and the one dollar isn't going to slow us down. Again I still don't like it.

 

Attendance will be up...I will almost guarantee it. Its gonna be closer for trousdale and alcoa. About the same for south pitt (10 miles). Futher for milan. That is if they all make it (but like you said they will pack it in anywhere when they do). But....There are several from east tn that play for the title and that will be much closer. Ability for more friends, relatives and others to make the shorter journey. Plus folks from cookeville and the surrounding counties will be more likely to come as well and I am willing to bet they will be more supportive to it than than the folks around Murfreesboro have been. As big as Murfreesboro is, how many from there come out to watch the games? I agree that who makes it there will dictate alot of the numbers, but I still say the folks from Cookeville and surrounding areas will make a difference. I for one plan too. Lately it has been too easy to watch them on tv. /blush.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blush:" border="0" alt="blush.gif" />

[bulldoggfan]

this is fricken rediculous

[ktownjackets1998]

i was hoping neyland staduim got it,but tech is closer than the boro 4 me,but it stinks for fans in memphis area. long drive

[Guest iamoz]

It's interesting to go back and look at what was said the last time the championships moved...

 

 

January 16, 2000

Football Site Change Could Add Revenue

BYLINE: STEPHEN HARGIS, Chattanooga Times Free Press

SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. C11

LENGTH: 706 words

 

The TSSAA's Board of Control decided the possible rewards far outweighed the risks and voted unanimously Thursday to move the state football championships from Nashville to Murfreesboro.

 

Beginning this December, the state championship games will be played at Middle Tennessee State University's 31,000-seat stadium -- at least for three years, with an option for another two years.

 

The Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce has a 50-year tradition with the Clinic Bowl, with the last 17 at Vanderbilt's Dudley Field for all the title games.

 

The NAJCC will retain the use of the name Clinic Bowl for other events that benefit Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Services. The new name for the two-day event, which crowns state champions in seven classifications, will be the TSSAA State Football Championships.

 

"The proposal by MTSU offers more risk, but also more opportunity for gain," TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter said Friday. "To at least break even, we'll need a two-day draw of at least 20,000, which we've surpassed since we split into the five-team classification system in 1993."

 

Last year, the Nashville Area Junior Chamber put up a $62,000 guarantee, which was split among the 14 schools participating in the state title games. The new contract has no guarantee, but the TSSAA gets all the revenue after expenses, which are capped at $50,000.

 

Butch Spyridon, executive vice president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, was quoted in a Nashville Tennessean story as saying that Nashville would feel an economic loss of about $500,000 annually from the move.

 

TSSAA board member Mickey Dunn cited MTSU's refurbished stadium and surrounding facilities, as well as the opportunity for increased revenue, as key issues. It had been speculated that Vanderbilt was worried about having seven games played in two days on its natural grass surface, but Carter said that had nothing to do with the change.

 

Murfreesboro also is host for the state volleyball and boys' and girls' state basketball tournaments.

[bounder]

Everyone seems to be worried about motel rooms but just how many rooms will really be needed? From what I've seen looks like most people just drive to the game and then go home. That's in Nashville and the Boro. Someone from Cookeville needs to find out how many rooms there are available and post it on here.

[bulldoggfan]

i just looked it up added 47 miles to my trip

[thesmartestpersonalive]

This move was a terrible decision by TSSAA there is nothing about Cookeville that is better than Murfreesboro. It has fewer accommodations, fewer places to dine, and nothing for people to do at all outside of going to the games. In a quality market like Murfreesboro the championships become an event with outside opportunities of attaining entertainment. In Cookeville one will have the opportunity to eat sleep and watch the games that is all, there is nothing in Cookeville, it is a good rest stop between Knoxville and Nashville but nothing more. Even the actual venue is not as nice as MTSU, the playing surface is the same but the stadium at MTSU is nicer, the boxes for the coaches are not as good or as high which when compared creates a competitive hindrance. The dressing facilities at TTU would be nice if they were in a high school but the dressing facilities at MTSU are on par with real college facilities. Most states allow it??™s teams to play in it??™s states premier football venue but Tennessee has chosen to play at a second tier FCS field; now I??™m not suggesting MTSU is a premier facility but if a move was to be made it should have been an upgrade like LP field, Neyland, or at least Vanderbilt Stadium, not downgrade like they have decided upon.

As a follower of Alcoa It does make things easier on me I can go to Alcoa's game on friday drive home and then go watch Maryville on saturday without having to go live in Cookeville for a night.

[muffin]

Great decision made by T$$aa.