Liberty Bowl For State Championship Games

[jhawk23]

27 minutes ago, GG22 said:

Good point. I miss the days of 3 classes total. State would be better off with at least dropping to 4 public and 2 private classes 

Would be better to have less classes for sure but I doubt it’ll ever happen. It’s all about the $$$

[crazzyness]

1 hour ago, Rockytoptomcat said:

I don’t doubt that UTC is nice and I’m sure Chattanooga is nice. West Tn. people are sick of having to drive to east Tn. How would East Tn people like having to drive to west Tn every year? It only makes sense to me to have it in the middle in Nashville/Murfreesboro. Just my opinion. Heck I would be good with Clarksville.

The thing that irks me the most, I suppose, is that half the folks here seem to think Cookeville is "east TN," Chatt is "wayyyyyyy  in East TN," and that TN ends entirely at the east boundary of the Knoxville city limit. Y'all, there are TWO MORE hours of Tennessee PAST Knoxville; the TSSAA serves like 45 schools east of Knox County. 

Let's take the 3 farthest flung corners of TN, Mountain City, Tiptonville, and Fairley High School in Memphis, and look at drive times to locations being tossed around here. It takes roughly 5 hours from Tiptonville to Finley Stadium, and a few minutes more from Fairley. And y'all make it sound like y'all gotta drive across the entire blamed state. Well, it takes LONGER just to get to Nashville from Mountain City. 

Finley Stadium, UTC.
Mountain City: 4 hours 15 min
Tiptonville: 5 hours 5 min
Fairley HS: 5 hours 15 min

Tucker Stadium, TTU.
Mountain City: 4 hours 10 min
Tiptonville: 4 hours 30 min
Fairley HS: 4 hours 40 min

Floyd Stadium, MTSU.
Mountain City: 5 hours 15 minutes 
Tiptonville: 3 hours 40 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 50 minutes

FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt.
Mountain City: 5 hours 25 minutes 
Tiptonville: 3 hours 10 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 25 minutes

Fortera Stadium, APSU
Mountain City: 6 hours 
Tiptonville: 2 hours 45 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 40 minutes 

Graham Stadium, UTM
Mountain City: 7 hours 45 minutes 
Tiptonville: 55 minutes 
Fairley HS: 2 hours 30 minutes

Liberty Bowl, Memphis. 
Mountain City: 8 hours 30 minutes 
Tiptonville: 2 hours 5 minutes 
Fairley HS: 25 minutes 

It's a shame Tech and MTSU don't really seem to have any interest in holding the Blue Cross Bowl. Drive time wise, those are the most ideal locations... Boy Cookeville sure does suck though.

And to answer your question of "how would 'east' TN people like to drive to west TN?" Heck, folks that live in northeast TN gotta drive 3 hours+ to get to ANY of the locations mentioned, even the ones in "eAsT tEnNeSsEe." So forgive me if you don't have our pity. 

Edited December 6, 2022 by crazzyness

[Waker]

14 hours ago, crazzyness said:

The thing that irks me the most, I suppose, is that half the folks here seem to think Cookeville is "east TN," Chatt is "wayyyyyyy  in East TN," and that TN ends entirely at the east boundary of the Knoxville city limit. Y'all, there are TWO MORE hours of Tennessee PAST Knoxville; the TSSAA serves like 45 schools east of Knox County. 

Let's take the 3 farthest flung corners of TN, Mountain City, Tiptonville, and Fairley High School in Memphis, and look at drive times to locations being tossed around here. It takes roughly 5 hours from Tiptonville to Finley Stadium, and a few minutes more from Fairley. And y'all make it sound like y'all gotta drive across the entire blamed state. Well, it takes LONGER just to get to Nashville from Mountain City. 

Finley Stadium, UTC.
Mountain City: 4 hours 15 min
Tiptonville: 5 hours 5 min
Fairley HS: 5 hours 15 min

Tucker Stadium, TTU.
Mountain City: 4 hours 10 min
Tiptonville: 4 hours 30 min
Fairley HS: 4 hours 40 min

Floyd Stadium, MTSU.
Mountain City: 5 hours 15 minutes 
Tiptonville: 3 hours 40 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 50 minutes

FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt.
Mountain City: 5 hours 25 minutes 
Tiptonville: 3 hours 10 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 25 minutes

Fortera Stadium, APSU
Mountain City: 6 hours 
Tiptonville: 2 hours 45 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 40 minutes 

Graham Stadium, UTM
Mountain City: 7 hours 45 minutes 
Tiptonville: 55 minutes 
Fairley HS: 2 hours 30 minutes

Liberty Bowl, Memphis. 
Mountain City: 8 hours 30 minutes 
Tiptonville: 2 hours 5 minutes 
Fairley HS: 25 minutes 

It's a shame Tech and MTSU don't really seem to have any interest in holding the Blue Cross Bowl. Drive time wise, those are the most ideal locations... Boy Cookeville sure does suck though.

And to answer your question of "how would 'east' TN people like to drive to west TN?" Heck, folks that live in northeast TN gotta drive 3 hours+ to get to ANY of the locations mentioned, even the ones in "eAsT tEnNeSsEe." So forgive me if you don't have our pity. 

Sounds like people in mountain city need to move.

[Chargercats]

I have mentioned it before and i know its nearly impossible but i like the idea of the location swapping with the bracket every year. For example, when the east side of the bracket is the host then the game is hosted towards the east end of the state, Cookeville, Chattanooga, Etc. When the west side of the bracket host then the game will be on the western end of the state, UTM, Austin Peay, Liberty Bowl, Etc. I like Chattanooga and i personally wouldn't mind the drive, but there are a lot of people that do mind (time, money). Again I understand that is likely a crazy idea so the Murphresboro/Nashville seems to be the best option. 

[riverrat]

I prefer that one of the actual schools competing in the championship hosts the game. Classifications (1, 3 & 5) host on the east side of the bracket and (2, 4 & 6) host on the west side of the bracket. Then alternate each year. A version of this is how it used to be done. The two schools can split the gate evenly between the two of them. We really do NOT need the TSSAA's help to put on OUR state championship games. We assume that we need the TSSAA because they have been around so long, but we do NOT. They do not do enough, well enough, to justify what they take from us. 

 

This suggestion might have been said, sorry I chose not to read through all of this. 

[PeskyPole]

On 12/5/2022 at 10:46 PM, crazzyness said:

The thing that irks me the most, I suppose, is that half the folks here seem to think Cookeville is "east TN," Chatt is "wayyyyyyy  in East TN," and that TN ends entirely at the east boundary of the Knoxville city limit. Y'all, there are TWO MORE hours of Tennessee PAST Knoxville; the TSSAA serves like 45 schools east of Knox County. 

Let's take the 3 farthest flung corners of TN, Mountain City, Tiptonville, and Fairley High School in Memphis, and look at drive times to locations being tossed around here. It takes roughly 5 hours from Tiptonville to Finley Stadium, and a few minutes more from Fairley. And y'all make it sound like y'all gotta drive across the entire blamed state. Well, it takes LONGER just to get to Nashville from Mountain City. 

Finley Stadium, UTC.
Mountain City: 4 hours 15 min
Tiptonville: 5 hours 5 min
Fairley HS: 5 hours 15 min

Tucker Stadium, TTU.
Mountain City: 4 hours 10 min
Tiptonville: 4 hours 30 min
Fairley HS: 4 hours 40 min

Floyd Stadium, MTSU.
Mountain City: 5 hours 15 minutes 
Tiptonville: 3 hours 40 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 50 minutes

FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt.
Mountain City: 5 hours 25 minutes 
Tiptonville: 3 hours 10 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 25 minutes

Fortera Stadium, APSU
Mountain City: 6 hours 
Tiptonville: 2 hours 45 minutes 
Fairley HS: 3 hours 40 minutes 

Graham Stadium, UTM
Mountain City: 7 hours 45 minutes 
Tiptonville: 55 minutes 
Fairley HS: 2 hours 30 minutes

Liberty Bowl, Memphis. 
Mountain City: 8 hours 30 minutes 
Tiptonville: 2 hours 5 minutes 
Fairley HS: 25 minutes 

It's a shame Tech and MTSU don't really seem to have any interest in holding the Blue Cross Bowl. Drive time wise, those are the most ideal locations... Boy Cookeville sure does suck though.

And to answer your question of "how would 'east' TN people like to drive to west TN?" Heck, folks that live in northeast TN gotta drive 3 hours+ to get to ANY of the locations mentioned, even the ones in "eAsT tEnNeSsEe." So forgive me if you don't have our pity. 

Can you give me some odds on Mountain City (Johnson County) making it to a state championship?? They are 2-9, 2-8, 4-6, 4-7 the last 4 seasons.  Not really worried about their commute because they won't have one. 

[IPOPU2022]

3 hours ago, NigCuppy said:

Can you give me some odds on Mountain City (Johnson County) making it to a state championship?? They are 2-9, 2-8, 4-6, 4-7 the last 4 seasons.  Not really worried about their commute because they won't have one. 

What’s Johnson Co got to do with it. Hampton and Cloudland are close. And both have played for the ball. Yes it should be centrally located to make the trip easier for every team. I still think Chattanooga is the best place atp. 

[GoPats2019]

Murfreesboro/MTSU hosted for many years. What they learned is it's simply not a money maker. Unlike Spring Fling and the basketball tournament; the football state championship game ends up being a one day trip for most teams and most fans. No hotel rooms, no sales tax revenue, etc. The cost to capital was simply not there. 

[rlh]

On 12/5/2022 at 11:46 PM, crazzyness said:

And to answer your question of "how would 'east' TN people like to drive to west TN?" Heck, folks that live in northeast TN gotta drive 3 hours+ to get to ANY of the locations mentioned, even the ones in "eAsT tEnNeSsEe." So forgive me if you don't have our pity. 

You are tilting wind mills.  Is that you Don Quixote.  There are at least 3 threads in the 1a-2a boards that have addressed this.  The part you overlook is MTSU lost interest in doing it.  That is how it ended up in Cookeville for 10 years.  Few cities have put in bids when it is been up.  It has been suggested it would be good to get Martin to get a bid.  How about rotating it from Martin, to ETSU in Johnson City, Nashville, and maybe Jackson on a 5 year rotating basis. 

 

The last part you contradicted yourself on and made the case.  Cloudland is just as far away as Tiptonville. The reason for that is the state isn't a simple rectangle.  One side looks like it got kicked in the arse by and elephant (Memphis) and the other side looks like it got hit over the head with a Paul Bunyan sized skillet (Roane Mtn). That's how you end up with South Pittsburg being on the edge of the grand division between East Tennesee and Middle Tennessee.  There is no easy fix. 

Edited December 7, 2022 by rlh

[YBsostupid]

On 12/5/2022 at 11:56 AM, crazzyness said:

Dude if you consider Cookeville "East" Tennessee, and using that as means of justification to move the championship potentially 500+ miles away from certain parts of the state, that's pretty darn out of touch.  

Throwing Memphis out as an "answer" to Chattanooga is ludicrous. When they hold the Blue Cross Bowl in Bristol, get back to me with the Memphis suggestion.

 

Cookeville is in east TN you moron.  

[YBsostupid]

On 12/4/2022 at 10:01 AM, TwoSix said:

I've been to all the sites, Vandy, MTSU (alma mater), Tech, and UTC. UTC is by far the best experience. Parking was convenient, easy into stadium, restaurant right outside of stadium. 

So, how long have you lived in the southeast TN area?  Also, there is the question of fairness.  Is that a subject that you can understand.

[Indian]

2 hours ago, YBsostupid said:

Cookeville is in east TN you moron.  

Putnam County including Cookeville is definitely Middle Tennessee.