FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Blutarsky]

I'm pretty upset that the OHSAA is moving the HS football finals to Columbus from Canton/Massillon when the contract expires in a couple years. They will never be the same. 

Would be just another brilliant decision by the all-knowing OSHAA.

Has that decision been made official??  It wouldn't surprise me if it moved (Tressel's influence), but it wouldn't surprise me if it stayed (Commissioner Ross likes the Canton/Massillon setup).....anyone have a link to an article??

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Recent Articles on OHSAA FB Championships.  Doesn't look like it has been decided yet:

WKYC

Repository

[Blutarsky]

Recent Articles on OHSAA FB Championships.  Doesn't look like it has been decided yet:

WKYC

Repository

Thanks for the links....sounds as though the decision will be made this week.

For what it's worth, our son played in the state championship game his junior year (Canton)....and said that it would have been neat to play in the Shoe (tradition, etc.), but he loved the atmosphere in Canton.  The attendance at his game was about 15,000, and that would have looked pretty sparse in OSU. 

[Raider 68]

Recent Articles on OHSAA FB Championships.  Doesn't look like it has been decided yet:

WKYC

Repository

Thanks for the links....sounds as though the decision will be made this week.

For what it's worth, our son played in the state championship game his junior year (Canton)....and said that it would have been neat to play in the Shoe (tradition, etc.), but he loved the atmosphere in Canton.  The attendance at his game was about 15,000, and that would have looked pretty sparse in OSU. 

I am pulling for the decision to keep ithe championships where they are for the reasons mentioned previously. Ohio Stadium is just too big for HS, IMHO!

[Raider 68]

JK,

What is the story with Cap's SID or is it just an opportunity to move up somewhere else? Sorry, this may be old news, but did not hear any comments about it.

[JK]

I know for several years after the games moved from Ohio Stadium to Canton/Massilon, there were a lot of disgruntled people.

On one hand, I understand.  Ohio Stadium is the one true football "Mecca" in the state.  Most kids grow up OSU fans and many, even those on the State Championship teams, will never have an opportunity to play there and fulfill a lifelong dream.  Plus, Columbus, with its central location, makes travel significantly easier for many teams and especially their fans.

On the other hand, Ohio Stadium, as mentioned, is gi-normous.  Not just big or even huge, like Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, where Kentucky traditionally plays their state championship games.  Without doing the research, I would guess that the biggest crowd to watch a state championship game in Ohio is in the nighborhood of 20,000 and the average attendance far, far less than that. (Caveat... the avaerage attendance, I would bet, is still pretty good for high school ball when compared to all the other states, especailly at the lower division levels).  Still, 20 or even 30,000 isn't going to fill the lower portion of Ohio Stadium. I wouldn't want to play in a stadium more than half empty for the biggest game of my life to that point.

The size of the stadium was one of the issues for leaving back in the day.  Another was the rental cost OSU was charging, which was eating up most of the gate from the games.  The OHSAA was getting eaten alive.  If you remember, in the early 90's most of the state championships moved away from OSU facilities for that exact reason.  Wrestling moved to the Nutter Center at Wright State, Baseball moved to Thurman Munson in Canton and eventually to Cooper Stadium, Football moved to Canton, etc.

I know a couple of years ago, when my Dad was on the Northeast District board for the OHSAA, Columbus made a play to get the football championship back, when the last contract was up.  The plan then was to have the I, II, and III championships in Ohio Stadium and IV, V, and VI at Crew Stadium (capacity about 10,000). Don't know if that is the case still, but that makes more sense than all the games at Ohio Stadium.

Also, I think it should be noted that even if the games are at OSU, I don't think Tressel can attend.  I don't fully understand the entire regulation, but a few years ago I was at the Basketball State Championship at the Schott.  My Dad was there and I asked if he was going to see Jim's brother Dick, the RB coach.  Dad said that the entire football staff goes out of town during the basketball tourney because they aren't allowed to be there anyway since if they come in contact with a student-athlete it would constitute a recruiting visit and a violation.   Don't know if that applies to football or if it's because the basketball tourney falls in a recruiting dead period, but I don't think there would be a lot of Tressel sightings at the football championships.

[JK]

JK,

What is the story with Cap's SID or is it just an opportunity to move up somewhere else? Sorry, this may be old news, but did not hear any comments about it.

Don't have any idea.

[seventiesraider]

The Stark sites are very much volunteer run and affordable.  The size of the stadiums is appropriate at least in the lower sizes. Can't imagine a game like Mogadore Vs Dola/Hardin Northern even in Crew Stadium.

It's like the arguments about moving the Stagg Bowl from Salem: 12 buck tickets and 2 buck hot dogs, to somewhere like Dallas where all the atmosphere is gone.     

[Raider 68]

The Stark sites are very much volunteer run and affordable.  The size of the stadiums is appropriate at least in the lower sizes. Can't imagine a game like Mogadore Vs Dola/Hardin Northern even in Crew Stadium.

It's like the arguments about moving the Stagg Bowl from Salem: 12 buck tickets and 2 buck hot dogs, to somewhere like Dallas where all the atmosphere is gone.     

..... and the Stagg Bowl is usually filled to capacity!

[seventiesraider]

The Stark sites are very much volunteer run and affordable.  The size of the stadiums is appropriate at least in the lower sizes. Can't imagine a game like Mogadore Vs Dola/Hardin Northern even in Crew Stadium.

It's like the arguments about moving the Stagg Bowl from Salem: 12 buck tickets and 2 buck hot dogs, to somewhere like Dallas where all the atmosphere is gone.     

..... and the Stagg Bowl is usually filled to capacity!

Well, if it's not at nine o'clock in the morning in a blizzard

[seventiesraider]

Article in Cinncy paper seems to  disagree with previous one about small schools having a harder time getting talent:
More and more athletes flock to small colleges to compete

Not sure I'd use Mt St Joes as my reference point

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

RE:  OHSAA FB Championships

Have they used the new Stadium at Akron yet as part of the championships?  Might help them keep them in the Akron/Canton Area with Massillon, U of Akron, and Fawcett...

[TooForRaider]

RE:  OHSAA FB Championships

Have they used the new Stadium at Akron yet as part of the championships?  Might help them keep them in the Akron/Canton Area with Massillon, U of Akron, and Fawcett...

They certainly should. I'd rather watch any high school game over an Akron game.

[BashDad]

Article in Cinncy paper seems to  disagree with previous one about small schools having a harder time getting talent:
More and more athletes flock to small colleges to compete

Not sure I'd use Mt St Joes as my reference point

Why not?

[seventiesraider]

Article in Cinncy paper seems to  disagree with previous one about small schools having a harder time getting talent:
More and more athletes flock to small colleges to compete

Not sure I'd use Mt St Joes as my reference point

Why not?

MSJ has been growing a program. I don't think that every DIII school would agree that they are expanding in these economic times .