Bank of America as State Title Site...Thoughts?
- Thread starter PtownViking
- Start date
I don't know, colleges are generally done playing home games by early December, NFL teams are not. It would take an entire weekend to play all the games there, and could be tough to schedule that.
It’s only too far West for the Eastern teams, but then again N.C. State, UNC, and Duke can be a really far trip for the Western teams.
I personally like the idea. I would prefer they not play all 8 games(I don’t think they need 8 games anyways) at different venues. I wish they would stop using some of the facilities that they use anyways.
I personally like the idea. I would prefer they not play all 8 games(I don’t think they need 8 games anyways) at different venues. I wish they would stop using some of the facilities that they use anyways.
I miss the 4 state finals at the same venue. Football fans stayed all weekend to watch a Friday night final then the 3 on Saturday. Really miss it.
The west is in no part of state lol . Our teams drive 3-5 hours for state or regionals
I like the games at the ACC stadiums, but I wonder if the atmosphere would be better at a more size appropriate stadium. Maybe an Elon or an A&T or something along those lines.
It's too much of a can of worms to try sadly.
The colleges would be offended because it's been a tradition dating back to 90' when they started doing it. It would be too much of a headache to try at the pro stadium because they have a lot of stuff come up in a short time (Panthers game still going, Belk Bowl coming up in a couple weeks, plus new owner wants concerts there,) and with basketball going the schools want the games over ASAP. Plus they finally got Duke back in the fold so it wouldn't be wise to dump them again.
I do think the stadium could be helpful though. Maybe have the East/West game there? Or maybe like a true all star game with kids from each level (not 4A/3A kids from population centers.) Do a quarter for each level of kids and let them get looked at by scouts. Would help get more scholarships awarded besides camps that are shows.
The colleges would be offended because it's been a tradition dating back to 90' when they started doing it. It would be too much of a headache to try at the pro stadium because they have a lot of stuff come up in a short time (Panthers game still going, Belk Bowl coming up in a couple weeks, plus new owner wants concerts there,) and with basketball going the schools want the games over ASAP. Plus they finally got Duke back in the fold so it wouldn't be wise to dump them again.
I do think the stadium could be helpful though. Maybe have the East/West game there? Or maybe like a true all star game with kids from each level (not 4A/3A kids from population centers.) Do a quarter for each level of kids and let them get looked at by scouts. Would help get more scholarships awarded besides camps that are shows.
I have always said the better atmospheres come from the smaller gyms. I think Reynolds & Carmichael are perfect places for basketball state championships. I also think UNCG is the best place for the Regional championships. The kids really don’t like playing in the huge arenas either.
UNCC has a much more appropriate sized venue than BofA for the title games. 16,000 seats close to filled or 74,000 with 3/4th empty. UNCC has turf.
UNCC is right st the same distance that Carter Finley from NC A&T. If they can play games in Raleigh I do not see Charlotte as too far. Memorial Stadium is being updated and will have turf.
Personally, I think the games need to be in the Triad. Wake Forest, NC A&T, and Elon. Need to get the FCS schools on board which has never been worked out.
Basketball regionals in Greensboro is too far west! When a team drives by the arena on the way to play in the east regional there is geograpichal / logistics issue! Very greatful that only the finals are played at the site now.
I consider Greensboro the central area in the state east to west. Prefer to see state finals in that general area.
UNCC is right st the same distance that Carter Finley from NC A&T. If they can play games in Raleigh I do not see Charlotte as too far. Memorial Stadium is being updated and will have turf.
Personally, I think the games need to be in the Triad. Wake Forest, NC A&T, and Elon. Need to get the FCS schools on board which has never been worked out.
Basketball regionals in Greensboro is too far west! When a team drives by the arena on the way to play in the east regional there is geograpichal / logistics issue! Very greatful that only the finals are played at the site now.
I consider Greensboro the central area in the state east to west. Prefer to see state finals in that general area.
Agreed in regards to basketball western regionals. There have been years when every regional team had to drive east to get to the western regional. GWY is correct the western most schools are not really in the state, just an inconvenience the NCHSAA has to deal with.
Just remember, while we want the atmosphere to be electric, this is about the athletes and not what we want. Sure playing at State and UNC is awesome, but imagine being a 16 year old kid, and getting to run out on the field at Bank of America Stadium with the city skyline in the background and your team on the jumbotron as you run out. The same field Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton, Mike Minter, Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, Sam Mills, Greg Olsen, Wesley Walls, and many other greats have played on. Man I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it.
Why can’t BOA stadium be utilized? Ever been to Texas? Texas is freaking huge and high school championships are played on Dallas’s home turf. If we ever want to get out of the small minded mentality we need to play at a large venue.
Have seen the best in Texas, Florida, Georgia, SC, Tennessee, VA, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and California play on their home fields.
I went to the Dutch Fork game at Allen. Have also been to a game at South Lake Carroll during their glory days.
Texas moved their title games years ago to larger stadiums due to overflow crowds. They played at Texas Stadium for years and at the Cootin Bowl. Not a new thing. Many of the playoff games are played st neutral sites due to distance and crowd size. There are a lot of large stadiums with turf in the state, private, college, district, and high schools.
I think playing a game at BofA would most likely draw more than the Big Four stadiums. Do not think any game would fill more than 25% of the seats. When the title games can put 25,000 at Groves Stadium or come close to filling A&T I would like to see the games at BofA or the other Big Four stadiums. Until then I prefer a Stadium that does not swallow the atmosphere.
It would take over 17000 fans to fill BOA stadium to 25% capacity. It would just be a cavernous expanse of blue seats. Sterile. If games were held on Friday, it would be a traffic and parking nightmare. To play all on Saturday would mean someone would get stuck with a 9am yawner. Whomever played last would be stuck with a trash pile of loose sod to slip and fall on.
Id rather see one more friday night football game at whomever is ranked highers highschool for championship.
I never understand why people get upset with empty seats. Its about the kids...or at least it should be.
At the college stadiums, it’s all about the kids. At BOA Stadium, it would be just another event to get through between concerts and pro games.
There is no guarantee that they’d even bother to run that Jumbotron.
The kids would enjoy the experience of playing at an NFL venue. The kids will remember that experience for a lifetime.
Im cool with the title games coming to Charlotte, but they never will. All the eastern teams will whine and complain about the trek. I think playing at UNCC makes more sense because the crowds, especially 1A/2A will not get swallowed up by the big stadiums. Heck you may even have some games where that place is almost full.
When teams would come to Charlotte for a playoff at Memorial Stadium they were always shocked at the cost to use the Stadium even though it was rent free. Required security costs were the crusher. The expected crowd but also capacity and entry / exit points (in use or not) were part of personnel requirements. No idea how it would work at BofA.
I would rather play in a 10,000 seat facility that was packed than have 15,000 in a 75,000 seat Stadium. Great to play in BofA but not so great to do it in front of a small crowd. I understand playingvtgere fir the players. Give it a try! May be the Panthers will subsidize the cost as a community works type of initiative.
I would rather play in a 10,000 seat facility that was packed than have 15,000 in a 75,000 seat Stadium. Great to play in BofA but not so great to do it in front of a small crowd. I understand playingvtgere fir the players. Give it a try! May be the Panthers will subsidize the cost as a community works type of initiative.
I am not sure it is all about the kids st the colleges. Wake Forest has provided the best support by far but I see that dwindling and only two locker rooms has its drawbacks. Duke was terrible but it was the previous staff and before the renovations. Still would be second class citizens to a Duke hooos game which caused the 1A title games to be moved to a Sunday in about 2003. State is probably a bit more supportive than UNC but both fail in my opinion and have put teams in terrible dressing room scenarios.
A kid 30 years from now would rather brag that he played at BOA than at Wake Forest. The crowd size is what it is, but the experience is a lifetime. Yes, give it a try and see what happens.
That is not the universities, stadiums, facilities, or athletic departments but the host community. I think Charlotte could easily get the support if the right people were behind it or possibly the Panthers may step up.
You can’t really blame the 4 schools for the locker rooms or things like that, the NCHSAA has to approve or reject anything.
I think we both agree Greensboro is a logical central point in the state for athletic purposes. Not much in form of stadiums farther south in the central part of the state. The distance difference between UNCC and Carter Finley is nominal.
Carter Finley to A&T Stadium: 71
UNCC to A&T Stadium: 85
BofA to A&T Stadium: 95
In 2005 NC State tore down the old field house at the end zone nearest the PNC Arena two weeks before the state title games. The teams ended up utilizing tents, paid for by the NCHSAA, as dressing rooms. Construction went idle for a period but many thought NC State could have held off on the demolition for two weeks. Not a huge deal but that is the type of thing that has happened repeatedly but on a smaller scale. In 2009 (?) UNC used large mobile dressing rooms for the visitors in place where the old administration / field house ("The Alamo") stood previously. As soon as the last game was complete it was removed. Teams changed in meeting rooms in the stadium.
The issues with Duke previously were worse. The week before the title game informing the NCHSAA that no games could be played on Saturday that was contracted. Reason, Duke hosted St Johns in a nationally televised basketball game. It would cause issues with Iron Dukes parking and make the area too crowded. Not to mention bathrooms not being in working order or clean, very limited concessions, and lack of personnel working the games.
UNC also moved a game to Sunday in 2007 but not sure the full reasons. They were having graduation ceremonies but there was one other item involved (EDIT follows: UNC had a home basketball game Saturday that overlapped the afternoon and night football game. Due to television they could not change the time. With two games, the late game being Richmond, it was thought the parking and traffic would be a problem.) I will try to get more info on why that change was made but I believe the option was open for Saturday but felt best not to go with it. In both instances (this one and Duke) kids got to say they played on Sundays!
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I liked it better when they rotated playing the finals at the high schools rotating east and west.
Play each other at home stadiums all the way to state. Once you get to state, the NCHSAA should identify the four nicest stadiums in the east and west ( 2 and 2) then put the state championship on a rotation of those stadiums if the schools agree to it. If not find another school to fill their shoes. Keep high school Football in high school atmosphere.
Georgia plays the semifinals at the Georgia dome then the finals at the home team rotating each year.
They no longer do that. State finals in the dome now. I think some of the smaller classes are in Macon but not sure.
First thing to do is determine if eight champions will be crowned and number of rounds. Less games makes it much easier to line up the stadiums. I was hoping 1A would go to 32 teams total subdivided to 16 fir a four round playoff. Play their title games the week before the others and have a day all to themselves hopefully generating more recognition. I would have been fine with 4A going to four rounds, also.