5A D. 1 and 2 Championships move to Reliant Stadium

[trojan37]

The story is on TexasFootball.com. Here's the link.

5A Championships (http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=33&url_article_id=1899&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2)

[HEMOTOXIC]

Here is another related story from the Houston Chronicle.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/hso/5856939.html

[3afan]

and from the DMN:

UIL to move 5A championships to Houston

06:28 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

By BOBBI ROQUEMORE / The Dallas Morning News
broquemore@dallasnews.com

Houston's Reliant Stadium will host the 2008 Class 5A Division I and II state championship football games, the University Interscholastic League announced Wednesday.

"We're thrilled to have the Texas State Football Championships back in Houston and at Reliant Stadium for the first time ever," SMG-Reliant Park president Shea Guinn said in a news release.

The games will be Dec. 20, with Division II at 2 p.m. and Division I at 7 p.m.

Texas Stadium was considered, but the Cowboys' Dec. 20 home game eliminated that possibility, a UIL spokesperson said.

It is the third consecutive year the 5A games will be held at a predetermined site. San Antonio's Alamodome hosted in 2006 and 2007.

The UIL announcement is consistent with its intention to rotate the 5A title games among the state's three major domed football stadiums: the Alamodome, Reliant and Cowboys Stadium, which is set to open in Arlington in 2009.

Euless Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver was on the committee of 5A football coaches, athletic directors and UIL officials that convened two years ago and decided to have a predetermined site in place before the season started.

The move not only brought consistency to the titles games of Texas' largest football division but also made it possible for both games to be televised.

"For years, the state championship game was like any other playoff game, and the site and the officials were negotiated by the two opponents," said Lineweaver, who coached Trinity to the 5A Division I state title in 2007. "We, being the committee and the UIL, felt it would be best to go ahead and set the site."

Yet having a predetermined site does not guarantee neutrality, a staple of the former system. For instance, Trinity had to play Converse Judson virtually in its back yard last December.

"And we still won the game," Lineweaver said of Trinity's 13-10 victory over Judson. "It's still played between the white lines, and it's all good."


LINK (http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/sharedcontent/dws/content/topstories/stories/062608dnspohsfb5a.321f210.html)

[STANG RED]

This will suck for a Panhandle or West Texas team that happens to make it.

[wedo]

well this sucks for the teams that will have to travel not only it being far but with the gas prices there are going to be a lot of families that don't make it to the games this year .

[waterboy]

Yeah, I never have liked the idea of having a predetermined site for a state championship game. I think that should be left up to the 2 schools that make it to their respective championship game, not the UIL. As far as televising the game, that is good but couldn't they just move the televising crews to the site that is agreed upon by the teams in the finals? They have a whole week to prepare which should be ample time to set up. Instead, the UIL, takes money from the networks without thinking of the best interests of the teams involved and their fans. Typical UIL "us first" and "we know what's best" attitude if you ask me.

[HEMOTOXIC]

Originally posted by waterboy
Yeah, I never have liked the idea of having a predetermined site for a state championship game. I think that should be left up to the 2 schools that make it to their respective championship game, not the UIL. As far as televising the game, that is good but couldn't they just move the televising crews to the site that is agreed upon by the teams in the finals? They have a whole week to prepare which should be ample time to set up. Instead, the UIL, takes money from the networks without thinking of the best interests of the teams involved and their fans. Typical UIL "us first" and "we know what's best" attitude if you ask me.


I agree with you and I am also in favor of having two games being played at one location. What about basketball, soccer, baseball, track, vollyball, etc? Should the site of those championship games be left up to the schools?

[Old Tiger]

Permian Lost to Dallas Carter in Houston :(

[c-town_balla]

nope.....
DKR

[Matthew328]

it doesn't matter in 5A.....there's only 2 West Texas districts left and one is El Paso so odds are they won't make it anyway...and even if they do those schools are so large they can afford to take a long trip....

[3afan]

Originally posted by waterboy
........ Typical UIL "us first" and "we know what's best" attitude if you ask me.


:rolleyes:
get a clue ...

[waterboy]

Originally posted by 3afan
:rolleyes:
get a clue ...
You must be on the UIL committee!:thinking: Talk about clueless!:doh:

[NastySlot]

Originally posted by HEMOTOXIC
I agree with you and I am also in favor of having two games being played at one location. What about basketball, soccer, baseball, track, vollyball, etc? Should the site of those championship games be left up to the schools?


those sports are all tournament type sports which are played over two to three day periods........semis and finals.....so it makes sense to have those sports play at pre-determined site in which four teams (excluding track) can travel for the possiblitiy of playing two games.........................i do think the sites could rotate for some of those sports.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Matthew328
it doesn't matter in 5A.....there's only 2 West Texas districts left and one is El Paso so odds are they won't make it anyway...and even if they do those schools are so large they can afford to take a long trip....

Its long odds that an El Paso team will make it, but not long odds at all that a Midland or Odessa team will. Even an Amarillo team making it, is a possibility. And asking any of those people to travel to Houston is ridiculous. Even more so, if their opponant happens to be a Houston area school. And I'm sure a sizeable number of their fans could not make the trip to Houston.

[LH Panther Mom]

Did the coaches and/or superintendents have a vote in deciding to play them on the same day at the same location? I'm pretty sure they had a say in 4 teams making the playoffs, but didn't know if the championship games were part of that. (I do know that there were coaches on the committee to decide SA as the location the last 2 years.)

[Buckeye1980]

I think all the championships should be palyed in one location on the same weekend . Class A& 2A on Friday night and the others on Saturday , I know alot will not agree with this but would it not be GREAT weekend?

[Matthew328]

Originally posted by STANG RED
Its long odds that an El Paso team will make it, but not long odds at all that a Midland or Odessa team will. Even an Amarillo team making it, is a possibility. And asking any of those people to travel to Houston is ridiculous. Even more so, if their opponant happens to be a Houston area school. And I'm sure a sizeable number of their fans could not make the trip to Houston.

When was the last time an Amarillo team played for a state title in football in 5A????

Maybe a school from Midland, Odessa or Abilene.....it'll rotate in 2 years when Jerry World Opens anyway...I see it rotating between Arlington, Houston and San Antonio...the majority of the state is in these areas anyway so it makes the most sense if you are going to do pre-determined sites

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by Buckeye1980
I think all the championships should be palyed in one location on the same weekend . Class A& 2A on Friday night and the others on Saturday , I know alot will not agree with this but would it not be GREAT weekend?

That would be great because then FSN could show all of the games not just 5A.

[HEMOTOXIC]

Originally posted by NastySlot
those sports are all tournament type sports which are played over two to three day periods........semis and finals.....so it makes sense to have those sports play at pre-determined site in which four teams (excluding track) can travel for the possiblitiy of playing two games.........................i do think the sites could rotate for some of those sports.


Agreed.

[HEMOTOXIC]

Originally posted by Buckeye1980
I think all the championships should be palyed in one location on the same weekend . Class A& 2A on Friday night and the others on Saturday , I know alot will not agree with this but would it not be GREAT weekend?


That would be some Christmas Present.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Buckeye1980
I think all the championships should be palyed in one location on the same weekend . Class A& 2A on Friday night and the others on Saturday , I know alot will not agree with this but would it not be GREAT weekend? No No no....


Class A and AA on Thursday
Class AAA and AAAA on Friday
Class AAAAA on Saturday

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by Buckeye1980
I think all the championships should be palyed in one location on the same weekend . Class A& 2A on Friday night and the others on Saturday , I know alot will not agree with this but would it not be GREAT weekend? I agree, kinda. I'd like to see the small school championships on one weekened and give the large school a week off then come back the next weekend with the big school title games. This would take some of the stress off of the system and we the fans get 2 back-to-back weekends of great football action.

A on Thursday
2A on Friday
3A, 4A, & 5A on Saturday