High School level Football

[Jim D.]

I've officiated football (college) in nine states. The farther south you go, the bigger the games seem to be. I would agree that Texas is where HS football is biggest.

I was always jealous - the Texas guys would tell me how much they made working a high school game. They have a set up down there were the officals get a cut of the gate.

Originally Posted by Jim D.

I've officiated football (college) in nine states. The farther south you go, the bigger the games seem to be. I would agree that Texas is where HS football is biggest.

I was always jealous - the Texas guys would tell me how much they made working a high school game. They have a set up down there were the officals get a cut of the gate.

And that cut of the gate just isn't in football. I understand they do that in basketball. Matter of fact, I think the game fees are based on how much was earned at the gate.

[Brandon Kincer]

lol I gotta say that the response to this question doesn't surprise me at all after seeing the movie "Friday Night Lights". If you watch that movie you will notice that even businesses close early to go to the game.

[Welpe]

The book is even better.

[Texas Aggie]

Its hard to argue that Texas is the King of fall Friday nights. I don't think a lot of folks that haven't lived down here AND traveled around the state realize how big it (the state) is. Yet in every corner of the state, football is huge.

Just some examples:

-- By and large, head football coaches are not teachers, they are an administrator so they can earn a higher salary than the teacher. 6 figures is now the standard at the top schools and there are likely districts where the HFC earns more than anyone in the district outside of the superintendent. Basketball coaches are almost always teachers.

-- I've worked basketball and volleyball in Texas over the past 20 years in addition to football. Its night and day how we are treated at football venues vs. the other ones. I can go in to the smallest school 1A game (1A is smallest public class) and they are there waiting for our crew. They take us to a dressing area, get us food, have drinks out, have our paperwork ready, and everything else. I'll go work a 5A (largest school class) district basketball game where the stands are filled where we have to ask for bottled water, or don't get anything at all. Plus, they also act at basketball games like they've never had one there before and say, "I'm not sure where we are putting the officials tonight; coach, do you know???"

-- This may not be totally unusual, but they pay for the entire chain crew at most Friday night games. We use first and second year officials on those crews and all of our crews have what we call a "6th man." He goes with us to all games and works the down box.

-- Spring games (intraschool) start up in a couple of weeks and most 4A/5A schools play them. This culminates 3 weeks of spring practice. The joke is that there are 2 sports in Texas: football and spring football. Honestly, spring football isn't all that big, as lower level schools don't participate in it, but the joke is pretty funny.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

And that cut of the gate just isn't in football. I understand they do that in basketball. Matter of fact, I think the game fees are based on how much was earned at the gate.

What justifies that? Do the officials do magic tricks and tell jokes at half time?

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

What justifies that?

My guess is that the thought is the bigger the game, the better compensated the officials, the better the officials. Just a guess though, maybe one of our resident Texans can give you a better answer.

[JasonTX]

A couple of years ago before the Dallas Cowboys had their indoor practice facility (in need of another one now) they would actually use a local high school indoor facility for indoor practices.

[TXMike]

"What state take HS football most seriously?"

I guess we have to start by deciding what empirical factors we would use to base our assessment on.
The amount of money spent on HS football by the citizens?
The amount of money paid to officials to officiate football?
The percentage of kids who participate in football?
The salaries paid to those who coach football?
The percentage of the population which attends HS football games?
The degree of conventional and unconventional media coverage of HS football?

Any others?

The most qualified folks to answer this question would be those who have lived in many different states. I can compare Texas to Virginia, Maine, Florida, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kansas, and Washington. Would like to hear some comparisons between Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

(I continue to find it interesting that you can see playoff games from the lowest levels of HS football in many states on satellite TV but we still see only a limited number of Texas playoff games, and those are the highest levels)

Texas HS Football stadiums article: High school football in Texas is king. Just look at their stadiums: - Democratic Underground

Story from 2006 re coach salaries: In dollars, coaches beat teachers

Pay/Performance Study of Texas HS Football Coaches Pay and Performance: An Examination of Texas High School Football Coaches | The Sport Journal

Article comparing Georgia HS football to Texas and other states:
THE ISSUE: RATING GEORGIA'S FOOTBALL TALENT: IT'S A SOUTHERN THING | ajc.com

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

What justifies that? Do the officials do magic tricks and tell jokes at half time?

What I stated was what I was told by one of our locals here in Nebraska who was seriously being recruited to move to Texas to become an official. Of course, he has some family down there so he was considering it.

[Tom.OH]

Lets get the argument going. I say OHIO has the best.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by Tom.OH

Lets get the argument going. I say OHIO has the best.

Ohio is the source of the best college coaches in the country: Stoops, Miles, U. Meyer.....and in days past: Hayes, Schembechlar, Parseghian...

[ajmc]

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

Originally Posted by Forksref

Ohio is the source of the best college coaches in the country: Stoops, Miles, U. Meyer.....and in days past: Hayes, Schembechlar, Parseghian...

Don't forget the up and coming Bo Pelini...also, Frank Solich of Ohio is an Ohio native.