Chattanooga Loses NCAA Football Championships to Frisco, Texas

[HLin NC]

2/26/2010 - Chattanooga Loses NCAA Football Championships to Frisco, Texas - Breaking News - Chattanoogan.com

[Texas Aggie]

Boy, Chattanooga has a bunch of sore losers. If I'm on the committee deciding where this would be held, I'd recommend it not ever return there.

"We're disappointed the NCAA decided to go to another city for this great game, but we hope the game will return soon to our city."

Honestly, how hard would that have been to say? Most people, I'd venture, don't think Chattanooga is all that great a place -- or, at the very least, don't care one way or another. For those that think its a great place to insist that there's no suitable alternative for this game is idiotic. Dude, this ain't Maui, or a few other places people spend a lot of money to get to.

[ODJ]

I've only passed through Chatt on the interstate. Couldn't see much as the road is terribly winding. Just glad to get over the hill. Roads are flat and straight in Indy.

[jaybird]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

Boy, Chattanooga has a bunch of sore losers. If I'm on the committee deciding where this would be held, I'd recommend it not ever return there.

"We're disappointed the NCAA decided to go to another city for this great game, but we hope the game will return soon to our city."

Honestly, how hard would that have been to say? Most people, I'd venture, don't think Chattanooga is all that great a place -- or, at the very least, don't care one way or another. For those that think its a great place to insist that there's no suitable alternative for this game is idiotic. Dude, this ain't Maui, or a few other places people spend a lot of money to get to.

So what are you saying? That Frisco is the tourist destination of the free world?

[TXMike]

I don't know what criteria they used but the game has had decreasing attendance in Chattanooga for the past 3 years. Plus, I suspect Chattanooga is NOT a place you can fly to directly unless it is from Atlanta, Raleigh/Durham, Dallas, etc. DFW (which is the airport servicing Frisco) has countless direct flights from many places, even "lesser" cities. (Especially when one team seems to always be coming from Missoula Montana ;-) )

That being said...doing it in Frisco on the same day as the Cotton Bowl in Dallas seems like a sure recipe for failure.

[Texas Aggie]

That Frisco is the tourist destination of the free world?

15 years ago, Frisco was little more than a hole in the ground. 1 small (Texas 2A) high school (nickname: Coons). Now, its 5 high schools. Very rapid growth. Not really a tourist attraction at all -- my point was that Chattanooga isn't anything special, so if they want to assert the game belongs in Chatt, they need to give a good reason why.

I agree with the same day as the Cotton Bowl issue, but then again, that's just the first year and nobody goes to the Cotton Bowl anyway.

[parepat]

In the past the NCAA seemed to want the game played in a I-AA college town; ie Georgia Southern, Marshall, Tenn Chattanooga. Does Frisco have a I-AA team nearby? From a geographic standpoint it seems like a poor choice. Add that the Cotton Bowl conflict, and it doesn't bode well.

[HLin NC]

Attendance declined because Appalachian nor any other SoCon team was in it. Richmond didn't have that big a fan base. Montana, No. Iowa, etc just aren't going to bring a big crowd that far.

I think the NCAA has had attendance issues when they try to play at a neutral site. When Marshall hosted it, they drew well but Marshall was in the mix. Of course choosing between Huntington WV and Chattanooga back when I was in college would have been difficult. Both were dumps. I've heard that
Chattanooga has improved. I doubt much can be done to improve Huntington.

Years ago, back when 1AA got started, The Citadel's stadium hosted it. I think it held about 22K but was old and had no improvements at that point. Charleston's a nice city and there is good weather and things to do but its not really near anything and the NCAA moved it.

[Texas Aggie]

Does Frisco have a I-AA team nearby?

The obvious joke would be, "yeah, North Texas" and before last season, SMU might have been included. Specifically, no. UT-Arlington is in the Southland (1-AA) conference -- which is based in Frisco -- but they abolished their football program in 1985 or 6. The closest 1-AA program would be Sam Houston in Huntsville or Texas State in San Marcos.

I think the Southland put in a bid with the stadium that the NCAA liked. Selling out 20K in this stadium won't be that difficult if the Southland markets it right and ticket prices aren't too high. There were 14K in attendance at last year's game, and this stadium would have 5K easy for a high school game, depending on who's playing. Maybe twice that for a HS playoff game.

[Bullycon]

There are actually several reasons Chattanooga is bitter over losing this game.

1) It has hosted the game for the past 13 years, taking over at a time when no one else wanted the game.

2) It has lost several other sporting events that it has helped to build up, only to lose to cities with deeper pockets. The TSSAA State Wrestling Championships and Spring Fling (Spring sports championships) are examples of this. Also, they just lost a bid to bring the state football title games to Finley.

3) A new record was set for local ticket sales for the Division I Championship Game in 2009. Any time the NCAA has raised an issue, the city has responded.

4) Chattanooga is still feeling the sting of the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee, which sent UNC-Chapel Hill and Purdue-West Lafayette to the Chattanooga sub-regional, resulting in an average attendance of about 50. Teams they could have set instead? Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee-Knoxville, Georgia, Auburn. Any of those would have given a bigger crowd.

We'll see what happens in three years. Chattanooga is very bitter over this, though. I'm not sure they will bid on the game, or any other NCAA event, for that matter.

[TXMike]

Originally Posted by Bullycon

We'll see what happens in three years. Chattanooga is very bitter over this, though. I'm not sure they will bid on the game, or any other NCAA event, for that matter.

Maybe they should just focus on building Choo Choos?

Never ceases to amaze me how cities are so williong to sell the farm for a sports related venue or event. My own town swallowed the bait when a former Mayor (who at the time was Obama-esqe in his charm and charisma) convinced folks if they built a domed stadium, the NFL would come and that would make us "big time". Now we have a nice big domed stadium that gets used for HS games, 1 bowl game and the occassional monster truck event. Meanwhile, it costs more to maintain it then it makes each year.

[Texas Aggie]

Mike, don't forget the Cowboys -- an NFL team from 200 and something miles up the road -- train there about every 3rd year or so. There's a few college games there and probably could be more. Any word on UTSA playing football?

Neither the NCAA nor anyone else, for that matter, owes Chattanooga anything.

[TXMike]

UTSA is fundraising to build their own stadium.

As for other college games there...very very rarely. And no wonder when you have folks at the Sports Foundation who argued against trying to get the Army-Navy game because "it will not fill the seats." Please...Army-Navy in San Antonio??? They would be standing room only.

[Texas Aggie]

I wasn't aware of any such discussion on the Army Navy game. I'd love to see it in Texas, regardless of where it was. I would probably go.

[TXMike]

The Frisco video presentation to the NCAA

http://sire-cntl-vid01.siretechnolog.../5883/5883.wmv