State Championship Attendances

[FHSrebel27]

Might have been the weather, it was very, very cold to sit thru 2 and 3 games. With tv coverage in the major markets I suppose many people watched in the warmth of their living rooms. Still doesn't beat being there.

I sat through all five! My bones still haven't warmed up completely I don't think...

[htown03]

A lot of people saw it in Huntingdon due to satellite.

[jcm]

I think TSSAA got their money anyway regardless of the attendance. Didn't I see a great big check from the TV station for about $30k or $35k going to TSSAA sometime during the broadcast? I missed the 1A alltogether, went to M'boro and watched the 2A, watched on TV the first 1/2 of the 3A, the 2nd 1/2 of the 4A and taped the 5A and watched it late.

[FalconLuv04]

Here are the State Championship attendances courtesy of tssaa.org:

 

Div I

1a: 3117

2a: 6213

3a: 3691

4a: 3367

5a: 5141

 

Div II

1a: not given

2a: not given

3a: 14500

 

Very surprising to see 2a have the largest attendance in Div I and 4a have the second lowest.  Maybe people who stayed for later games after buying tickets for early games weren't taken into account.  Television might have hurt the numbers also, but they seem kind of low this year.

I play for the Red Devils of Germantown and I can tell you that this # is the total number of fans we had last night. This figure is incorrect. I don't care what the TSSAA says they are all screwed up in the head anyways. I could tell you that there was at least 8,500 to no more than 10,000. But yeah that figure is of Germantown's crazy devoted fans!!!!!!!1= Go Germantown! Here we go---we're already thinking about a repeat as we're going to work harder than this 2003 season. LOL

you must not have looked to Riverdale's side because the Germantown fans in my opinion were clearly outnumbered!!

[orangecrush]

This is my personal observation and belief to why the attendances of these championship games have fallen over the past 10 years. I don't think the games being on t.v. have much to do with the small numbers. I believe it is because of the college championship games that are being played. I never missed a Clinic Bowl game from '88 to '95. Then the SEC started a championship game that goes head to head with our high school championship games. I love high school football as much as the next person and weather will not keep me away, but if there is a good SEC game on, especially my Vols, I will not be in Murfreesboro. I can remember such games as ('88 Oakland v. Gallatin "Ice Bowl"), ('90 Lincoln Co. v. Germantown), ('93 Lincoln Co. v. Riverdale), and many others where the atmosphere was unbelievable and attendance was high. Maybe I am wrong, but I think high school is losing out to college in this situation.

[cbg]

Poor attendance at championship games is due to several factors.

1. We have 8 state champions in football now and that has taken some of the luster off a state championship.

2. Metro & inner city schools do not travel very well.

3. The casual walk-up fan will not drive to Murfreesboro but they will drive to Vanderbilt to watch a game.

4. The season last too long. We would be better off with fewer classifications, play a 10 game schedule, only the top 2 teams in each region go to playoffs. We should end the playoffs on Thanksgiving weekend at the latest. Maybe start the season the Friday before Labor Day and end the weekend before Thanksgiving.

[trnbrant]

I can only speak for the IIAAA attendance since that was the only game I had the chance to attend.

I would say the 14-thousand number for the MBA-BA game was pretty close to accurate. On that night it was MUCH warmer (I was comfortable in a light jacket) and the game wasn't televised, so any casual football fans had to be there to see it.

 

I will admit I had no motivation to freeze to watch games in Murfreesboro, and I would not have gone to the MBA-BA game had it been as cold as it was last weekend.

 

Let's see... Eliminate a round of the playoffs, start all teams on what is now week zero, and the D-I championships are the weekend before Thanksgiving when people are still thinking high school football. Once Thanksgiving rolls around, unless your school's still alive you've switched gears to basketball.

 

Just a few thoughts.

[the_red]

you must not have looked to Riverdale's side because the Germantown fans in my opinion were clearly outnumbered!!

 

Well of course we were outnumbered. Riverdale had the game in their home town, it was practically a home game for them. They didn't have too many more than we had and I can guarantee you had the game been in our hometown we would've brought a whole heckuva lot more than they had in theirs. That was pathetic attendance on their part. Go Devils! Thanks for the memories!

[FBGIRL]

Maybe start the season the Friday before Labor Day and end the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Some teams started playing August 21st. No way to end before Thanksgiving with current playoff system.

[crc]

i would venture to say $10 to get in keeps a lot of people, especially students, away.

 

we were at all 3 games on saturday...germantown had a good crowd but riverdale's crowd was almost twice as big. the gtown crowd was louder, but then they had more to cheer about. it was by far the best game of the day!

[cbg]

fbgirl,

 

If you would have read the complete post you would not wonder how the season could start the week before Labor Day and end the weekend before or of Thanksgiving.

 

By only taking 2 teams from each region, you would eliminate some of the playoffs. My real feeling is to have everyone divided into A, AA, AAA and take only the region champion to the playoffs. Every other team with 7 wins would qualify for a bowl game.

[Chakra20]

Division II 3a: 14500

 

Ya um now u see why Division2 is considered the elite league.