It's time to move the finals

[hailvictors2]

When the NSAA moved the finals to Lincoln in 1996 it made sense. Nebraska was coming off of 2 straight national titles, they had field turf (which most high schools didn't have), and most kids in Nebraska dreamed of being a Husker. Those three things are no longer valid anymore. Nebraska is nothing more than a mediocre college football program with nice faciltiies. Every class A team in the state except SSC plays on field turf now. It is not longer uncommon for kids to dream of playing for someone aside from the Huskers.

Playing in Lincoln is almost a downer for the players. The stadium is empty. They need to put it back to the East/West alternating years. I remember watching Elkhorn play Cozad in 91' in Cozad. The atmosphere was 10 times anything that can be created in Memorial Stadium for a HS football game. The same thing was true the next year when Elkhorn hosted Lex in 92'. An electric atmosphere. I played in the finals in 99' against Scottsbluff in Lincoln. What kind of disadvantage is it to Scottsbluff to have to drive to Lincoln every year when Elkhorn and Skutt have 30 minutes from their door to the stadium? What happens if McCook and Scottsbluff both win tonight? You really think those teams/towns want to drive all the way to Lincoln to play?

Nobody wants to face the ugly truth here....and that is that Memorial Stadium isn't special anymore because we don't have a dynamite college football program. We have an average program at best. That was the biggest draw about playing the finals in Lincoln. Kids dreamed of playing there for the Huskers. That isn't true now. Some kids want to be Huskers, but most don't care anymore.

On top of that....playing in Memorial Stadium literally cost Valentine a shot at a state title in 06' They clanked their extra point off of the upright....and the uprights are narrower on a college field than on a HS field. They play that game in Auburn or Valentine and the game goes to a 3rd OT. I realize Auburn played under the same conditions, but that isn't the point. The point is the field didn't meet HS regulations and it literally cost a group of kids a shot at a state title.
This post was edited on 11/14 10:13 AM by hailvictors2

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

totally disagree

 

[hailvictors2]

Care to elaborate on that?

You don't think it is a disadvantage to the teams in the west? How can you justify that?
You don't think Valentine got a raw deal? How can you justify that?
You don't think the empty stadium is a downer? Have you ever been to a semifinal game on a HS campus? It is 10 times the atmosphere or more of Memorial Stadium for the finals.
You think McCook and Scottsbluff would want to drive to Lincoln to play IF they both win tonight? Why couldn't they just play in North Platte or somewhere out west?
You think kids in Nebraska dream of being Huskers like they used to in the glory days? That is one thing I can guarantee is not true.

 

[SPbObRT]

I would just say this, the stadium holds 90,000 plus and it looks like nobody is even there when you get some of these teams playing. it's a great venue to have even if you don't think so, but I would like to see them moved to Seacrest where you could actually have a atmosphere when you get say 3000 people there. I don't think your really correct when saying it doesn't matter to the kids anymore, how do you know this, have you asked someone from Hemmingford, or Cozad or Boone, I'm pretty sure it's still a great experience for those young lads to play on the same field that the cornhuskers play on whether they are medicore or national champions. just my thought for the day.

 

[hailvictors2]

SPbObRt- I base my belief that the kids don't care about Nebraska football anymore or playing in Memorial Stadium because I have yet to speak to a HS football player that can name more than 1 assistant coach, most of them don't know who Frank Solich is/was, none of them know the all-time leading rusher, only 3 kids so far that I have spoke to about it even know who Bob Devaney is. In the 1990's I'd bet over 75% of kids could answer all 3 of those things. These kids no longer appreciate the tradition/history of Nebraska football because Nebraska football hasn't done anything recently to warrant kids being interested in it. In the 1990s Nebraska was that dominant and had consistency. Kids wanted to know all they could about the Husker tradition. No, I haven't asked Hemingford, Cozad, or Boone.... have you? I think people have a misconception that the kids love playing there. Can someone point me in the direction of an article or something that shares insight from a kid about how much they enjoyed playing at Memorial Stadium? If you get a chance to ask one of those teams how they feel about it, ask them how they would feel about playing the state title game on their home field instead? In front of their grandparents, community, and younger friends that aren't able to travel the 8 hours to Lincoln to see them play live.

 

[hailvictors2]

A direct quote from Bob's most recent article published today....

"Great as all those moments might have been, the greatest high school football game I've ever seen was on a cold November night back in 1994, when Aquinas beat Battle Creek in double overtime, 29-28, to win the Class C-1 state championship. (A night made all the greater by the fact it was played on a home field, Battle Creek's, but that's another story for another time...)"

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

I still believe its a dream for most to play on that field, if you wanted to do what was best for them, then poll every football player in the state and see

 

[fearameer82014]

So hail, your justification is based on you not liking Nebraska football honestly. Unfair advantage for both teams to play on the same neutral site? Doesn't make sense to me.

But you think it is a fair advantage for team to play at their home, for a state championship? I don't think so. Maybe move the game, but it needs to be at a neutral site.

 

[hailvictors2]

No, my justification is that Nebraska football is not what it used to be. I don't think anyone would argue with that. The magic that was once Memorial Stadium (where we rarely, if ever, lost) is not what it once was. The perk of field turf is no longer a perk.

As for a neutral site....Lincoln is hardly neutral. Do you really believe that if Scottsbluff and Elkhorn play in the finals there will be equal representation from both communities? It won't even be close. The neutral site isn't neutral if it is 45 minutes from once team and 8 hours from the other.

 

[fearameer82014]

That would be the same thing if it was a home game. If Elkhorn had to travel to Scottsbluff for a championship game it would be the same thing. That is why i said, move it from Lincoln, so it was a neutral place for everyone.

 

[huskerfan1414]

I have to disagree with this hailvictors. First of all, if you think kids in Nebraska don't still watch NU games and follow the team, you're either crazy or don't know many kids. No offense, but seriously you are way off on that one. (And I'm not happy with the current state of the program, either). Whether or not they know who Bob Devaney was is a moot point.

Second, playing at Memorial Stadium is a big deal. It makes it feel like an actual state championship game instead of just another game at some podunk stadium. It's an event when it's at the big college stadium. Just because it's not full doesn't mean you can't see fans or it can't be just as loud as any other field. Gimme a break.

And the thought of anyone playing a home game for a state title game is utterly ridiculous to me. No team should be a true visitor for a state title game. Also, to me it would make it seem like any other game and would lose some of it's luster.

You might be able to talk me into a neutral site that is not Memorial Stadium. As far as your two west teams scenerio, heck just let them decide if they wanna stay out west and play at some podunk stadium on an afternoon with no one else in the state caring. If that's what they want, then so be it. Maybe the NSAA can have a rule if the two teams both agree to do it elsewhere they can. I'm fine with that.

Point of the issue, I believe the state games should stay at Memorial Stadium.

 

[runningback43]

Keep the games at one site. Nothing wrong with playing them at Memorial Stadium. Who cares if there is a lot of empty seats.

 

[Chidog31]

One thing that is being overlooked here is that if you were to move the games to different sites, they would no longer be carried by NET, and I don't believe that will happen. I honestly think that if they were to move, they would all still be played at the same site, but that's just a guess.

 

[hailvictors2]

It wouldn't be a big deal if it rotated from east to west every other year like it used to. Play it at a neutral site in the east one year and a neutral site in the west the next year (Maybe Chadron State and Memorial Stadium). Under the current system we have a team like Hemingford, Scottsbluff, McCook, etc... that has to come to Lincoln every single year and play a team that is coming from an hour or less away. That is an away game, It doesn't matter how you slice it, there is a HUGE advantage for the team coming from the Metro area when they play a panhandle school at Memorial Stadium.

I will agree to disagree about kids dying to play at Memorial Stadium. Obviously there are some that would love to. I just don't think there are near as many as there used to be (When Nebraska was winning national titles everyone wanted to be a Husker). I could be wrong. It just seems to me that the program isn't what it was when the title game was moved to Lincoln.

The travel for western teams is a big concern for me. I also worry about the atmosphere...3,000 people looks/feels like nothing when you are in a stadium that holds 30 times that. One last thing that I would like to see happen is get all of the games played at night time. Seems like a state title game shouldn't be played at 10:30 in the morning (which isn't just a football thing).

 

[Football2274]

Trying to be as polite as I can, your take on this subject is wrong on both counts. Just because the Huskers haven't won a national title since 97 doesn't mean there is something lacking. Listen to opposing players, coaches, and fans that visit Lincoln. They all say it is one of the great experiences in the nation. And as far as high school players go, ask 100 of them from across the state and they will tell you they would love to play for a state title in Memorial Stadium and that playing for the Huskers, given the chance, would be a dream come true. Sorry but you are out of touch and out of bounds.

 

[huskers_2001]

Hail, Sounds like your gripe is how far the "western" teams have to travel to Lincoln! There is still magic at Memorial Stadium, even though the team has not lived up to the standards of the early 90's. There is a reason that they vote Nebraska's facilities one of the best in the nation. If you don't like where you live, move!

 

[hailvictors2]

Fair enough. I am clearly in the minority regarding the sacredness of Memorial Stadium. I can accept that. As mentioned in my original post...I played there in 1999 and it wasn't really a big deal to me to run through the tunnel and all of that. Granted, I have been a season ticket holder since I was a little kid and have been to probably 100 college games in Lincoln. The "magic" isn't so magic to me anymore because I have seen it so much. I can see how it would be great for a kid that has never been there....it just wasn't something important to me. I think there are a lot of kids out there that have the same outlook as I do. But I will agree, there are probably more that would love the experience.

I guess the real question should be this... Is the experience of playing in Memorial Stadium worth the downfalls that it brings?
-What appears to be an empty stadium and less "rowdy" atmosphere
-A road game for western schools
-Uprights that aren't regulation size (Valentine kid is probably scarred for life)
-Morning state championship games

Seems like most people are willing to overlook that stuff because they believe kids value playing in Memorial Stadium so much. Is that the consensus?

Off subject, I appreciate the fact that even though I am in the minority (And stubborn) I am not being mugged by people. I enjoy discussion and debate.

 

[huskerfan1414]

I think we all need to keep in mind, me too, that there is no perfect system. It is difficult to do, especially when you factor in the TV coverage (And there MUST be T.V. coverage, imo). There is always going to be a team that has to travel further, no matter how you slice it. The only way it wouldn't happen is if you have it at UNK and one team is from east and one from west. But then you are going to have two eastern teams make it and it will defeat the whole purpose anyway.

I agree that state games played at 10:30 in the morning is not optimal. I believe just about everyone would. I'm just not sure there is a way around it.

I can't speak for western teams, but I really can't imagine that it would feel like a home game for the eastern teams. They are still going to have to travel to a different city (unless Lincoln team), make travel arrangements, dress in a different locker room, and play on a different field. Western teams probably come down the night before so they are already there the day of the game. Take a bus ride with your buddies, eat at some restaurants, play at the big house, get treated like a king.

Attendance may be "small" for some games but it always seems equal between the crowds from the games I have gone to.

I still think you may be over-thinking the whole "small crowd huge stadium" thing. It's not like it's a shock to people, what do you think they expect? It can still get loud in there and the crowd is easily visible. The team crowd is behind the team sideline. However, I see the argument here and predict you aren't the only one with a complaint about this.

Where I still cannot agree, however, is that kids don't think it's a big deal or that they don't care about the Huskers like they used to. I believe that is how you feel and so you think others feel the same way. Nebraska is still a big time program and it's a big time stadium. I can see arguments for things like travel or capacity, but not this.

I still feel that to create a state-championship like atmosphere that is one-of-a-kind, it has to be played there.

This post was edited on 11/14 2:31 PM by huskerfan1414

 

[rbescout]

Not 100% sure but I believe this entire argument is moot...NCAA rules aren't allowing championship or all star games at D1 college stadiums anymore. Once again, I could be totally wrong about this but I think this is the last year for finals at Memorial.

 

[GibbonBuffs]

I think you are correct about all-star games, but not championship games. Though you raise an interesting point....based on the comments in this thread an argument could clearly be made that Nebraska's football program uses this as a huge recruiting tool which is what the NCAA is trying to avoid

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

all star games only Championship games are okay I have yet to see a valid point other than 5,000 people looking like no one in a stadium that seats 90,000 other than that nothing else holds water

 

[northeastNebraska]

Memorial Stadium should always be the home of the state football final. Where else would you play? You tell me those kids from Scottsbluff would rather play in Kearney rather than drive a few 150 more miles to Lincoln. Doubt it. Memorial Stadium is the dream for these kids. Don't take that away by putting them in central Nebraska.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Originally posted by northeastNebraska:
Memorial Stadium should always be the home of the state football final. Where else would you play? You tell me those kids from Scottsbluff would rather play in Kearney rather than drive a few 150 more miles to Lincoln. Doubt it. Memorial Stadium is the dream for these kids. Don't take that away by putting them in central Nebraska.

Agree

 

[HUSKER10]

I have debated this with my friends many times. On one hand it is awesome for the kids to play at Memorial. On the other hand it does not offer the crowd hype because of its size. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this. I do have a couple of personal observations/opinions.

1. If you have not coached in the state championship before you will be lost. There is no one there directing you. I was shocked at the lack of help that is given to these high-school coaches. The coaches that have been there in the past have a advantage because they know what locker to pick, were to park, what to do about on-field passes, how many people can be on the field etc...

2. Why have the games during the middle of the week? That cuts out a lot of fans. Again, because the Huskers need the facility the NSAA is at their mercy.

3. It was obvious to me and again it's just my opinion, Memorial stadium would rather not host these games. They probably don't make enough money for the work it creates.

4. It really doesn't make a difference if the Huskers are doing great or not. It's the biggest venue and probably the biggest attraction in the state and so the kids get a kick out of playing there. I bet the kids playing their this year will have just as much fun as the kids that played in the 90's.

5. Lastly, the big screen is pretty awesome for these games.

 

[lorilwayne]

As a mom who just went through the 6 man championships I disagree. I am glad that 6 man isnt at UNL however am glad that it was at a neutral site with all the beeps bells and whistles. It is an experience many dont have the chance to experience otherwise including my son. It did look empty but it was still a neat experience.

 

[beast_62]

My son played in the finals there two years ago and will be playing in his final high school game there in a week and a half. I KNOW he thinks it is the only place to play the finals! Very special for those who have earned it!
This post was edited on 11/15 12:10 PM by beast_62

 

[dgnad]

I have lived in Nebraska, from Kansas, for about 8 years. I have always been impressed with how Nebraska handles their state championships. A person can go to one venue and watch all classes play. In Kansas they split them up. 1A my play at Fort Hays State, 2A may at Hutch JUCO, and so on. You basically have to decide which trip you are going to make to watch players or teams that you haven't seen all year. In Nebraska, with our current system, you can go to one place and watch them all. I've said many times, the only state event better in Kansas than Nebraska is the state track meet and that's because the venue is a bit larger. If the football games moved from Lincoln then either you give up having them all at the same place due to hotel space (or you are limited) or you have to split them up.

I can take my own experience in western Kansas and say I would MUCH rather have played at KU or KSTATE as compared to Garden City Community College or Hutch JUCO (still better than a neutral site high school field) even though they would have been a farther road trip. I asked my boys (who are still KSU fans) if they would look forward to playing at Memorial Stadium or would they rather play at Chadron State or maybe a neutral high school field so the fans were closer and louder. You would have thought I just asked the stupidest question in the world. Their answer....."are you kidding me, it's a 90,000 seat stadium with real locker rooms and I see that place on TV, oh and the big screen.....are you kidding me??" I actually paraphrased a bit. I think the issue of "magic" being lost at memorial stadium is just ridiculous. It's an agenda looking for a justification. It's awesome that they get to play there. Nebraska's state championship model is wonderful. Don't even think about changing it.

 

[SPbObRT]

for those skeptics out there that want this game moved because of various reasons, why not ask the kids if they like it, the game is for them in the first place, it's not for me the fan, or the mom or the dad, the coaches or the officials but about the boys actually playing the game. do the kids like playing there, is it a neat experience to play where all the legends have played, I will bet you that close to 100% of the kids would say they loved it and will always remember it. I have had my own doubts about it but after some thought I too realized who or why they play there, for the kids . no different then state basketball or wrassling.

 

[GibbonBuffs]

If I asked my players, I'd hope they would say they don't care where they play. They should be focused on what they are playing for (a state title), not where the game is at. Just one coaches thoughts...

This post was edited on 11/15 12:58 PM by GibbonBuffs

 

[SPbObRT]

well coach you have a week to prepare for the final so you should have plenty of time to ask that one simple question, hey kids would you like to play in memorial stadium or would you rather play on the hard cold frozen tundra of name a town in Nebraska who has a grass field. it's very simple.

 

[GibbonBuffs]

That wasn't the point. I was suggesting that playing for a state title is the "prize", not playing in memorial stadium. Where the game is played is a distant second place to what is at stake in the game. Any and all kids that have an appreciation for winning a state title will/would agree with that.

 

[GiggityGlen]

I can see the rule about no allstar games at D1 stadiums but they can't make that rule for championships. This would mean basketball could not have state tournament at Pinnacle, Century Link, UNO. Not many facilities that can handle crowds like that if you take those away.

 

[4norsemen]

Gotta go with Memorial. Although my dream would be a Univ Northern Iowa Dome type thing in Kearney. Semis and finals there every year. Wont happen.

 

[4norsemen]

Gotta go with Memorial. Although my dream would be a Univ Northern Iowa Dome type thing in Kearney. Semis and finals there every year. Wont happen.