State Championships

[Rebel-Fan-74]

For those saying play it at the higher seeded team, I remind you that all teams will be either #1 or #2 so if two #1 seeds make it to the finals, which is the higher seeded team?

As for location, if they are going to wait for a while, just wait until it gets closer and then use Furman, Coastal, Citadel, Benedict, SCSU, and other options as needed. Should 5A come down to Gaffney -vs- Dutch Fork, look at Presbyterian College for example or Newberry. Wofford would be another possible option.

The only people who are worried about the location are the fans because the teams and coaches are only concerned with the area between the lines.

The SCHSL, in advance, designates the home/away team each year for the state championships. So that is pre-determined, meaning the opportunity would be there to play at home field.

My comment was addressed to those who said "play at the higher seeded team" and since we left the point system, there are no "Seeded Teams"

We discussed this on the Red Zone last night as what the SCHSL could do to make the atmosphere more neutral. At best, you will only have 25% capacity allowed, so in a 10,000 seat stadium, thats only 2,500 tickets. Give 1,000 tickets to each team and let them sell. Then put 500 on sale to the general public.

This concept would help with the "attendance" being neutral; however, all the other issues - travel, etc would still be unequal.

The issue with the college stadiums you mentioned is colleges will not be open to allowing roughly 3,000 people, not associated with their school, to flood their campus. In addition, the SCHSL will have to play championships at all different locations this year. I don't see any scenario where they will be able to completely empty stadiums/locker rooms and sanitize everything in a timely manner between games. They will have to play the 5 state championships at 5 different locations. That issue further makes it difficult to rent a college stadium, because now you need 5 stadiums instead of 1 or 2 (like normal).
So, the SCHSL really has three options. Play at the pre-determined "home team" (which this year is the lower state champ in each classification). Or they could do a coin toss to see which team would host. Or, get a neutral high school stadium to host. The issue with the last is again, the cost. With schools limited to 25% capacity, by using a neutral site host, its now a 4th party to split gate with (two state championship teams, SCHSL, and the host school). The easiest way is to do a coin toss and split the tickets evenly between the schools.

Colleges, especially now with COVID issues, are going to be less likely to be inclined to want to host; but even in previous years, many may not be interested. The only way to know is to make inquiries to determine their interest. You and I can make a guess as to their interest, but I have ZERO knowledge what the powers to be would say. That is why I listed several options. Someone on that list might be willing (if the NCAA would even allow it).

But, to your point about the only people concerned are the fans, I would disagree. Where championships are held are extremely important to the schools and coaches. From a financial standpoint, to travel, to facilities. All of that plays into it.

Yeah, at some point, the AD's and folks are concerned with the costs; however, a coach who has a chance to win a State Championship the time for that concern is somewhere down the road.