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.