If TSSAA wants to fix the attendance problem...

[13aafanatic]

FYI, paid attendance:

DI Boys: 22,203 in 2008 and 15,383 in 2009

DI Girls: 17,322 in 2008 and 19,343 in 2009

 

I'll use the same argument as I did on the football thread. The teams that make it have a bigger impact on attendance than location. Teams like Bradford, Gleason, Clarkrange, Jackson Co., Gibson Co., Westview, Livingston, Upperman, etc. will bring the whole town regardless of where they play. Then some teams from urban areas will bring 50-100 people.

 

Obviously a West Tenn guy myself, but honestly Martin and Jackson have no business hosting the state tournament. There are some great women's basketball programs around (Union, Freed, Lambuth). But we sure struggle to support a minor league baseball program. Keep the tournament in Murfreesboro or move it to Cookeville.

[JungleJim125]

My take is it makes no difference where it is played right now. These gas prices and bad economy has slowed travel down. I have talked to people who are dedicated high school fans. Most tell me it slow them to even going to some of home teams out of town games. Let's face it the average joe just can't jump in his car or trunk or what ever he drives to go 2 to 3 hours anymore to attend a sporting event. Not many people even go on vacation any more. Until this economy and these darn gas prices go down attendance will stay down. That is the bottom line folks! I think the bulk of will agree with me!! /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

[senator]

I'm with you G.C. Pioneer..Just as the posters are saying about some of the teams having a chance at State..You names quite a bit also..Even the small towns like Bradford and Gleason bring their whole towns practically..and a lot farther to drive than those teams basically having it in their back yards..Bring it closer to UT Martin or Jackson.would be full with Bradford,Westview,Bradford,Gleason fans etc..!I'm with you also about not going if it's moved from Murfreesboro..I always try to go but unless Lake Co is there..probably wouldn't go..especially if football..If some of the local teams or several local teams like Westview and Gibson Co and Greenfield and Gleason if Lake Co isn't there..would probably go to the basketball tournament..Just because there are more local teams to cheer on..!

 

they had it in Jackson in the 70's and attendance was awful, the west tn teams especially in memphis or the schools in metro nashville don't even attend their home games but the rural schools do pretty well. the upper cumberland schools usally take more people on the road to visitors gym than the home team has when we play those teams.

[movinonup]

The larger metropolitan schools do not follow their teams with attendance because they are not community schools. Just had a relative that went through 3 high schools in 4 years, partly her fault, partly due to re-drawing of school lines her freshman year. Do you think she will ever follow her school (which one would it be) after she has graduated?

 

I, on the other hand, still follow my hometown school and occasionally make a game, but it is a rural school that I attended K-12. The smaller schools mentioned above are always going to follow their school regardless of where the championships are played. Some of your bigger schools in Memphis, Nashville, and Jackson are just going to have family members present even if they are played in their home gym.

[ksgovols]

ARE YOU SERIOUS!?

 

First off, we'll start with Jackson...

Jackson is home to the NAIA women's national championships. Fans, players, teams come from all over the country and it is supported extremely well by the local fans from around here.

Jackson, starting next year, will be home to the OVC baseball tournament being held at Pringles Park. (Home of the West TN Diamond Jaxx). They will also be host to the AA Minor League All-Star game in 2011 which will draw fans in from different places.

Seems to me as they are hosting 2 pretty solid tournaments and SPENDING MONEY TO MAKE MONEY.

 

Secondly Martin, not UT-Martin, but the city overall.

Martin hosted the 2008 Little League World Series with teams coming in from all over the country. I heard the price that the city of Martin put in for that tournament and it was an outrageous amount of money. Martin hosted that tournament extremely well and I never heard any disappointments in the way they hosted it.

 

I could understand Martin not getting it due to the fact it's not that big of a town, but Jackson is definately worthy of hosting any tournament they want to. No cash, no play? Is that what you said?

 

 

Yeah. He's serious. Jackson didn't put in a bid. It doesn't matter how many tournaments, etc. that you've hosted if you don't submit a bid. No one said Jackson wasn't qualified to host it.

 

Second, Martin never hosted a South or Southeast Regional for Little League much less a World Series. Dixie Youth maybe? Cal Ripken?

 

2008 Little League World Series

 

I think the girls and boys tournaments should be run concurrently. They could even sell 2 game sessions like the SEC tournament. Pair a girls game and then a boys game and sell tickets for that 2 game session. It would double the number of teams in it, but I think the event would be well attended and attract more excitement than to stretch the thing out for 2 weeks. It would take 2 venues, Lipscomb and Belmont for instance. You could either host the girls at one site and the boys at the other or have a girls/boys session same as regular season and district tournaments.

[GCPioneer]

It was the Cal Ripken World Series, I believe.

 

The guy moreless said Jackson wasn't qualified by saying "no cash, no play".

 

MTSU has been doing great with the state tournaments. Continue to keep it there and jack up the ticket price even more, lol.

[MVM]

It was the Cal Ripken World Series, I believe.

 

The guy moreless said Jackson wasn't qualified by saying "no cash, no play".

MTSU has been doing great with the state tournaments. Continue to keep it there and jack up the ticket price even more, lol.

 

 

NO I DIDN"T SAY THAT....So get the chip off your shoulder... /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

 

Cooksville's bid was $250.000 THOUSAND DOLLARS plus extras.

 

Chattanooga's bid I believe was $242.000 THOUSAND DOLLARS plus extras.

 

Jackson's bid was $0.00, Zero, Nada, Nil, Zilch......Hence NO BID, NO CASH, NO PLAY. /ph34r.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ph34r:" border="0" alt="ph34r.gif" />

[MVM]

Yeah. He's serious. Jackson didn't put in a bid. It doesn't matter how many tournaments, etc. that you've hosted if you don't submit a bid. No one said Jackson wasn't qualified to host it.

 

 

 

Thanks ksgovols /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

[DCfan74]

FYI, paid attendance:

DI Boys: 22,203 in 2008 and 15,383 in 2009

DI Girls: 17,322 in 2008 and 19,343 in 2009

 

I'll use the same argument as I did on the football thread. The teams that make it have a bigger impact on attendance than location. Teams like Bradford, Gleason, Clarkrange, Jackson Co., Gibson Co., Westview, Livingston, Upperman, etc. will bring the whole town regardless of where they play. Then some teams from urban areas will bring 50-100 people.

 

Obviously a West Tenn guy myself, but honestly Martin and Jackson have no business hosting the state tournament. There are some great women's basketball programs around (Union, Freed, Lambuth). But we sure struggle to support a minor league baseball program. Keep the tournament in Murfreesboro or move it to Cookeville.

 

The problem with the attendance is Memphis. When the Memphis teams win the attendance will be down, because the Memphis folks will not support them, period.

[terop]

they had it in Jackson in the 70's and attendance was awful, the west tn teams especially in memphis or the schools in metro nashville don't even attend their home games but the rural schools do pretty well. the upper cumberland schools usally take more people on the road to visitors gym than the home team has when we play those teams.

 

Attendance at Memphis high school basketball games are quite good. A high school basketball game is not the biggest thing going on at night here unlike most of the smaller towns where everyone attends games. The state tourney is fine right where it is. Their is no way the TSSAA can accommodate everyone unless they rotated sites every year to the three grand divisions of TN.

[B-O-B-C-A-T-S]

Move it to Cookeville. No one has mentioned how pathetic the parking has gotten at MTSU. If you don't get to park in the main parking lot, then you have to go out to the dairy farm and pay to park at the barn. TSSAA made a wise move with football. Do the same with basketball.

[westtnbballer]

Move it to Cookeville. No one has mentioned how pathetic the parking has gotten at MTSU. If you don't get to park in the main parking lot, then you have to go out to the dairy farm and pay to park at the barn. TSSAA made a wise move with football. Do the same with basketball.

 

 

What if they hosted boys and girls Class A and AA together at Murfreesboro, and then look at rotating the Class AAA and Div II boys and girls together between the major metro areas, since that is where the teams are from.