1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Dwindling attendance at high school playoff events

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by MTM, Feb 1, 2019.

  1. Regan MacNeil

    Regan MacNeil Well-Known Member

    But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
     
  2. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    I know a lot of sections like to add to the big-time feel of the finals by playing the finals at a pro or major college arena, but that comes at a cost, generally, higher ticket prices. And parking ... good grief, a few years back the Southern Section played its major division finals at Honda Arena and the parking fees were darn close to what they'd charge for a Ducks game.
     
  3. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    I think they've gotten away from Honda Center for the basketball finals and are all over the place now, notably Long Beach State. They've also moved out of the Big A for football finals for the friendly confines of Cerritos College.

    But there's become a bigger emphasis on state tournaments instead of section. It used to be there was only state events for track, cross country and basketball. Now there's 13 divisions for state championships. And seasons are starting earlier. Used to be spring sports would start about March 1. They start next week for the Southern Section, which should have been broken up more than 30 years ago, but that's another discussion.
     
  4. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    About half the state football finals, in the lower divisions, are played on campus fields, the others in a common site (Cerritos last year after a few years at Sac State and, before that, StubHub). State hoop finals have been at Golden One Center and in the past have been at ARCO/Sleep Train and what's now Oracle.

    Central Coast Section football and basketball finals are spread all over (the CCS is really into neutral venues), while in basketball, the Central plays at Selland Arena, which is about the right size for the event, and the Sac-Joaquin has been at UOP the last few years.

    But, yeah, those early starts. Three weeks of football before Labor Day, when it's in triple digits in many areas.
     
    MileHigh likes this.
  5. MTM

    MTM Well-Known Member

    One reason for the early start is the early end to the school year. Many districts end before June and playoffs were ending after classes were over.
     
  6. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    I think most states are misjudging (outside of Texas) how popular these events are. When I lived in AZ, they'd play state title games at Sun Devil Stadium and wonder why there weren't more than 5,000 people there in a 70,000-seat stadium. I mean, no one outside of the schools cares about your state title matchup? These aren't draws for the random schmoe in Phoenix. Why do state associations try to coach it this way? Is it so cool, if you're a kid, to rush out of the tunnel at random State U. in front of no one?
     
  7. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Well, it's more about ending the semester before Christmas break. And many districts are now going a full week off at Thanksgiving and three weeks at Christmas. And school ending closer to Memorial Day instead of mid-June back in the day.
     
  8. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    I can’t speak for California, but in Texas they’re still building 18,000-seat high school stadiums and the state football finals keep setting attendance records every year. A high school game in Arkansas drew 32K last year.
     
  9. Bud_Bundy

    Bud_Bundy Well-Known Member

    I covered a big school state championship doubleheader in Virginia several years ago. All 4 schools were from the I-95/I-64 corridor, but the games were played at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. I doubt if the attendance for the two games combined was much over 5,000 or 6,000 in a 66,000-seat stadium. Oh, in a snowstorm.
     
  10. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

  11. SFIND

    SFIND Well-Known Member

    Fixed it for you.
     
  12. Regan MacNeil

    Regan MacNeil Well-Known Member

Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page