A real state tournament

[Newestguy]

Peay is a nice venue but it is farther for EVERYONE, unless you are from Clarksville or North Nashville. We need a venue like Municipal or Murfree Center since everyone says it can be done on eight mats.

The reason Austin Peay has been suggested is because apparently the AD really wants it there and rumor has it the facility will be free. Municipal Auditorium would come with a 10K plus price tag.I suppose if a private donor were willing to cough up the rent, the TSSAA wouldn't have much of an excuse not to switch. If not, then they've got about 10,000 reasons to keep it where it is.

[mat73557]

Would it be that much for Municipal really? Is it privately owned? Anyone know?

[Newestguy]

$3500 a day. Thursday, Friday, Saturday = $10,500

And that's assuming the setup on Wednesday is free

Edited March 5, 2015 by Newestguy

[inthagap]

I'll pony up $1000 if it's the right venue to give these athletes what they deserve. Now we just need 9 more people.

[silverpie]

Municipal Auditorium is owned by the city-county combined government of Nashville. What leverage the Metro schools might have (similar to what Williamson's do at the Ag) is uncertain. I do recall that on the previous occasion that I suggested it, it was mentioned that the Nashville Sports Council would need to be involved. Looking at its floorplan, 8 mats would be easy, and 10 doable.

 

Given the awkward location of Clarksville, while I don't have an issue with them having one of the two events, I think putting both there might be too much. I'd still say have one of the events at the Roundhouse (who, since they last hosted state, have gained quite a bit of experience in how to handle big wrestling tournaments, by way of the Southern Scuffle).

 

And as to the poster who suggested Memphis--first of all, they don't use the Pyramid anymore, they're on to the next building. That said, while I really can't see the wrestling there, I would love to see the FedExForum (the Grizzlies' new home) host the basketball state.

[Sommers]

Parking in Nashville would be a disaster!

[mat73557]

I would think that a good argument could be presented to the city/state government to compel the folks at Municipal to offer the venue at a very deep discount.  The parking revenue, downtown hotel room rentals and restaurant business alone would certainly merit strong consideration.

[Sommers]

Walking several blocks and/or shuttles could make it happen at apx $15-20 per day per vehicle.

[cbg]

$3500 a day. Thursday, Friday, Saturday = $10,500

And that's assuming the setup on Wednesday is free

Have been told directly that if the Nashville Sports Council gets behind the tournament it is very possible that it could be FREE.

[REVDL]

It's pretty clear from the TSSAA end of things that cost is always going to be a priority. If they have a free facility with free labor you are going to be hard pressed to get them to go anywhere that doesn't offer that. However, if we are talking just straight up facilities and not location itself, East TN has 3 high schools and 2 colleges large enough to possibly hold it. DB has the Indian Classic and two rather large AAU tournaments there every year with as many as 10 mats on their floor. Science Hill has access to 2 gymnasiums and Freedom Hall where you easily could do Girls and Division 2 in the old Gym, A/AA in the New Gym, and AAA in Freedom Hall with all Medal matches the last day at Freedom Hall. TN High has Viking Hall that if they utilized the stage could possibly squeeze 10 mats in there if they used a couple of the smaller mats butted next to each other but they definitely could utilize 8. Then you have the ETSU mini Dome in Johnson City and Thompson Bowling Arena at UT Knoxville as viable options.

The only solutions I see for the 8 mat problem would be to move girls wrestling to the weekend of the State Duals at the same venue as the duals (since their Regions are the weekend before it currently), shrink the AAA bracket (I personally feel it should be left alone), or start wrestling earlier in the day on Thursday with AAA beginning at the same time on Thursday morning they do on Friday and Saturday and have A/AA (especially if they expand the bracket to include 15-16 wrestlers depending on which proposal would get adopted if that happens) and Division 2 start later in the afternoon on Thursday with Girls only wrestling Friday and Saturday. Considering currently we have two very large breaks built into the tournament we could easily shorten those by at least an hour each and also alleviate some of the concerns of only having 8 mats.

I personally from an efficiency stand point have enjoyed the AG Center but agree showers and the current way of covering the floor are a serious issue. I personally would like to see the tournament move locations on a 4 year rotation between Upper East (Knoxville moving Eastward), Eastern Middle (West of Knoxville to East of Nashville), Western Middle (Nashville to East of Jackson), and West (Jackson to Memphis). This would give an option for either an upper East TN place like Science Hill, TN High, or DB an opportunity plus a few places in Knoxville as options to host it one year, The following year somewhere like Chattanooga, Cookeville, or Murfreesboro. The next year it opens Nashville, Franklin, or Clarksville up, and finally, that leaves primarily Jackson and Memphis as viable options in the West.

Ultimately we all know this comes down to cost more than anything else and until someone has someone who can match what the AG Center and Williamson Co have to offer from a financial standpoint you will be hard pressed to change their mind. I personally hope it never returns to the Round House as I don’t think it was ever treated fairly there and from concession issues, providing food for your wrestlers, the efficiency of how it was run those years etc… I would argue they had their chance and there was ample reason for it not to be held there. When it was held at the venue after that and before the Ag Center sorry can’t remember the name (sucks to start getting older) it was a decent facility and ran well but it would be hard pressed to fit all of the current divisions as they are now I would think.

Anyway the two cents of a guy who is on his 26^th consecutive year of being involved in TN wrestling, but what do I know, that and a couple of quarters can’t even buy you a cup of coffee.