State Championship Football Games

[hailvictors2]

This topic kind of took over the "8-man football changes coming" thread. Thought maybe it would be best to start a new thread. We've been down this road before on this forum, but the D3 addition opens a new aspect of the conversation. UNL has said Memorial Stadium will not be available for a 3rd day. Officials at the NSAA have said they don't see it feasible to have 4 games in one day. That brings us to a crossroads...what do we do with 8-man championship games? Is it just D3 that needs a home? Or do we move them all? If we move 8-man, do we move everything?

Positives to playing in Memorial Stadium
-Its the best facility in the state.
-For some it is a dream come true
-It allows PBS to provide excellent TV Coverage

Negatives to playing in Memorial Stadium
-Huge venue seems to make the crowd less impactful. It appears the stadium is empty, even though there are several thousand people there.
-NFHS rules apply to HS FB in Nebraska, but UNL's goal posts are narrower (all college goal posts are narrower). Same with hash marks. In 2006 Valentine had a PAT clank off the post in overtime. It was the difference in the game. We would never even consider this in basketball, playing on a different size goal.
-The western part of the state is always on the road
-Playing a state championship game at 10:45 in the morning is pretty anticlimactic. That is necessary to get 3 games in per day.

I'm interested to see what happens. Realistically I don't see anyway the finals leave Lincoln. I think they should, but I am usually in the minority on that among adults. NSAA has to make some decisions about where some state finals are played. The 6-man game in Kearney is awesome. I dont anticipate that leaving. Maybe a day of 8-man moves out there? From a geographical standpoint that might make sense. I think a larger percentage of the make-up of 8man schools comes from west of Lincoln. That said, if playing at Memorial Stadium is such a perk I don't think it is fair to deny the 8-man kids that opportunity. Almost need a rotation where one year the A, B, C1, C2 finals are in Lincoln and the D1, D2, D3, D6 finals are in Kearney. Next year it flips.

 

[opinionated.old.fart]

This topic kind of took over the "8-man football changes coming" thread. Thought maybe it would be best to start a new thread. We've been down this road before on this forum, but the D3 addition opens a new aspect of the conversation. UNL has said Memorial Stadium will not be available for a 3rd day. Officials at the NSAA have said they don't see it feasible to have 4 games in one day. That brings us to a crossroads...what do we do with 8-man championship games? Is it just D3 that needs a home? Or do we move them all? If we move 8-man, do we move everything?

Positives to playing in Memorial Stadium
-Its the best facility in the state.
-For some it is a dream come true
-It allows PBS to provide excellent TV Coverage

Negatives to playing in Memorial Stadium
-Huge venue seems to make the crowd less impactful. It appears the stadium is empty, even though there are several thousand people there.
-NFHS rules apply to HS FB in Nebraska, but UNL's goal posts are narrower (all college goal posts are narrower). Same with hash marks. In 2006 Valentine had a PAT clank off the post in overtime. It was the difference in the game. We would never even consider this in basketball, playing on a different size goal.
-The western part of the state is always on the road
-Playing a state championship game at 10:45 in the morning is pretty anticlimactic. That is necessary to get 3 games in per day.

I'm interested to see what happens. Realistically I don't see anyway the finals leave Lincoln. I think they should, but I am usually in the minority on that among adults. NSAA has to make some decisions about where some state finals are played. The 6-man game in Kearney is awesome. I dont anticipate that leaving. Maybe a day of 8-man moves out there? From a geographical standpoint that might make sense. I think a larger percentage of the make-up of 8man schools comes from west of Lincoln. That said, if playing at Memorial Stadium is such a perk I don't think it is fair to deny the 8-man kids that opportunity. Almost need a rotation where one year the A, B, C1, C2 finals are in Lincoln and the D1, D2, D3, D6 finals are in Kearney. Next year it flips.

Kearney would be a more central location. (Even though people in Omaha think Kearney is way out west.)

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

This topic kind of took over the "8-man football changes coming" thread. Thought maybe it would be best to start a new thread. We've been down this road before on this forum, but the D3 addition opens a new aspect of the conversation. UNL has said Memorial Stadium will not be available for a 3rd day. Officials at the NSAA have said they don't see it feasible to have 4 games in one day. That brings us to a crossroads...what do we do with 8-man championship games? Is it just D3 that needs a home? Or do we move them all? If we move 8-man, do we move everything?

Positives to playing in Memorial Stadium
-Its the best facility in the state.
-For some it is a dream come true
-It allows PBS to provide excellent TV Coverage

Negatives to playing in Memorial Stadium
-Huge venue seems to make the crowd less impactful. It appears the stadium is empty, even though there are several thousand people there.
-NFHS rules apply to HS FB in Nebraska, but UNL's goal posts are narrower (all college goal posts are narrower). Same with hash marks. In 2006 Valentine had a PAT clank off the post in overtime. It was the difference in the game. We would never even consider this in basketball, playing on a different size goal.
-The western part of the state is always on the road
-Playing a state championship game at 10:45 in the morning is pretty anticlimactic. That is necessary to get 3 games in per day.

I'm interested to see what happens. Realistically I don't see anyway the finals leave Lincoln. I think they should, but I am usually in the minority on that among adults. NSAA has to make some decisions about where some state finals are played. The 6-man game in Kearney is awesome. I dont anticipate that leaving. Maybe a day of 8-man moves out there? From a geographical standpoint that might make sense. I think a larger percentage of the make-up of 8man schools comes from west of Lincoln. That said, if playing at Memorial Stadium is such a perk I don't think it is fair to deny the 8-man kids that opportunity. Almost need a rotation where one year the A, B, C1, C2 finals are in Lincoln and the D1, D2, D3, D6 finals are in Kearney. Next year it flips.

Having coached and played in the state championship at Memorial Stadium, I'll tell you the crowd size doesn't matter as much as some believe. Even in the small crowds, the sound on the sidelines and on the field is LOUD! It's just the way the sound bounces around the stadium. As a buddy said that coached a C-2 game, 'After coaching and realizing we needed the university provided headsets to talk to each other, I don't know how opposing teams do it on Saturdays....

There's a 0% chance you see a B or A game at a non home site that isn't Memorial Stadium IMO. A majority of the schools will never agree to it. Since the University denied the NSAA a 3rd day if needed, I wonder if they'll truly allow the finals to stay there when they put in grass....it'll be interesting to see.

 

[opinionated.old.fart]

IMO... I think if asked, most kids would want to play in Lincoln. Something about going down the night before, spending the night in a hotel with your friends, the build up of driving to the stadium, dressing in the Huskers' locker room, then the experience of playing inside a legendary stadium. It gives a kid something he can talk about for the rest of his life. "Hey son, that's the locker room we used and the tunnel we came out of. etc..." Good memories to share with your clan. That's if you were fortunate enough to get a chance to play or coach there that is. Oh and being on TV in a professional broadcast?? Come on, that's really cool.

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

IMO... I think if asked, most kids would want to play in Lincoln. Something about going down the night before, spending the night in a hotel with your friends, the build up of driving to the stadium, dressing in the Huskers' locker room, then the experience of playing inside a legendary stadium. It gives a kid something he can talk about for the rest of his life. "Hey son, that's the locker room we used and the tunnel we came out of. etc..." Good memories to share with your clan. That's if you were fortunate enough to get a chance to play or coach there that is. Oh and being on TV in a professional broadcast?? Come on, that's really cool.

1. Never stayed in Lincoln the night before. Played the first game once and still drove in the morning of from two hours away. Never stayed anywhere, event when it was 5 hours on the bus. I know several class B schools have stayed when going out west though.

2. Never once dressed in the Husker locker room or the visitor locker room. Was in the toad stool area in east stadium and the small locker room over there.

I do completely agree though that kids would almost 100% say they want to play in Memorial Stadium if at all possible.

 

[cschurm]

1. Never stayed in Lincoln the night before. Played the first game once and still drove in the morning of from two hours away. Never stayed anywhere, event when it was 5 hours on the bus. I know several class B schools have stayed when going out west though.

2. Never once dressed in the Husker locker room or the visitor locker room. Was in the toad stool area in east stadium and the small locker room over there.

I do completely agree though that kids would almost 100% say they want to play in Memorial Stadium if at all possible.

Got to dress in UNK's home locker room......

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

Got to dress in UNK's home locker room......

Nice! Was it a cool locker room? In my experience, the locker room situation is the worst part of Memorial as a coach/player.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

100% the players would and do want it at Memorial Stadium
They can play four games (other states do it)
UNL has said the grass will not matter, they will re-sod it after the title games if they have to.
The only hang up is change and the NSAA going one day with four games
This schedule will work and if they dont its a shame
Day 1
9:30am D3
12:30pm D2
3:30pm D1
7pm B

Day 2
10:30 C2
1:30 C1
7pm A

 

[cschurm]

Nice! Was it a cool locker room? In my experience, the locker room situation is the worst part of Memorial as a coach/player.

It was great. Hospitality was even better. UNK does an awesome job hosting that

 

[Power_I_82]

I'm telling you. Give me a night game with several thousand people in the stands over playing at 11 am in front of a thousand. Just my opinion but the Memorial Stadium experience is a little over sold. Locker rooms sucked, atmosphere sucked, rushed you out after the game to get ready for the next one. Locker rooms had holes in the wall and particle board lockers. Other than being big, it was bad. I couldn't believe a D1 college team would use a locker room like that honestly. Make it special and make it memorable and let kids enjoy the moment. It's a state title game. They will remember it their whole lives. I was honestly underwhelmed by the experience of it. I know many will disagree, but I wasn't the only one that thought that.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

I'm telling you. Give me a night game with several thousand people in the stands over playing at 11 am in front of a thousand. Just my opinion but the Memorial Stadium experience is a little over sold. Locker rooms sucked, atmosphere sucked, rushed you out after the game to get ready for the next one. Locker rooms had holes in the wall and particle board lockers. Other than being big, it was bad. I couldn't believe a D1 college team would use a locker room like that honestly. Make it special and make it memorable and let kids enjoy the moment. It's a state title game. They will remember it their whole lives. I was honestly underwhelmed by the experience of it. I know many will disagree, but I wasn't the only one that thought that.

you know you are not in the real player locker rooms right ? Also if you poll high school football players or ask any team or coach who have played or coached in the game THEY want it at UNL

 

[Power_I_82]

you know you are not in the real player locker rooms right ? Also if you poll high school football players or ask any team or coach who have played or coached in the game THEY want it at UNL

I do. Our high school locker room was nicer than the one we dressed in. I'm not sure you can say poll the coaches because I think the coaches voted for the D3 option knowing there would be a chance of moving out of Memorial for the finals. I think coaches are more concerned about keeping a level playing field with eligibility numbers. Coaches make decisions based on what's best for their program.. I for one welcome the changes coming to the games and am excited to see where it goes. I do know 8 man coaches love to showcase their game. There were lots of grumblings when 8 man went to the standard playoff schedule a few years back. Before that is was a great chance to be the "only show in town" on game night. The Sertoma game has been going strong for over 40 years. They love to promote the 8 man HOF in Hastings. They will make moving these out of Lincoln a great experience for everyone. I have no doubt about that. I look at what the 6 man game in Kearney does for their game. It highlights it rather than lump it in with everything else. It's great exposure for their game. It's obvious we will disagree on this topic and there are a lot of kids that will miss out on playing at Lincoln but I think this will be for the betterment of the 8 man game personally.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

I do. Our high school locker room was nicer than the one we dressed in. I'm not sure you can say poll the coaches because I think the coaches voted for the D3 option knowing there would be a chance of moving out of Memorial for the finals. I think coaches are more concerned about keeping a level playing field with eligibility numbers. Coaches make decisions based on what's best for their program.. I for one welcome the changes coming to the games and am excited to see where it goes. I do know 8 man coaches love to showcase their game. There were lots of grumblings when 8 man went to the standard playoff schedule a few years back. Before that is was a great chance to be the "only show in town" on game night. The Sertoma game has been going strong for over 40 years. They love to promote the 8 man HOF in Hastings. They will make moving these out of Lincoln a great experience for everyone. I have no doubt about that. I look at what the 6 man game in Kearney does for their game. It highlights it rather than lump it in with everything else. It's great exposure for their game. It's obvious we will disagree on this topic and there are a lot of kids that will miss out on playing at Lincoln but I think this will be for the betterment of the 8 man game personally.

again if they dont play four games in Lincoln at the stadium( i will be surprisedif they dont) IT IS the NSAA who is just refusing to do so. So this entire discussion is only a discussion if the NSAA will not adjust the schedule and If that is the case then the member school just have to force them and then maybe think about replacing the NSAA person who they had to force to do what makes sense and other states do.

 

[hailvictors2]

you know you are not in the real player locker rooms right ? Also if you poll high school football players or ask any team or coach who have played or coached in the game THEY want it at UNL

No they don't.

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

I'm telling you. Give me a night game with several thousand people in the stands over playing at 11 am in front of a thousand. Just my opinion but the Memorial Stadium experience is a little over sold. Locker rooms sucked, atmosphere sucked, rushed you out after the game to get ready for the next one. Locker rooms had holes in the wall and particle board lockers. Other than being big, it was bad. I couldn't believe a D1 college team would use a locker room like that honestly. Make it special and make it memorable and let kids enjoy the moment. It's a state title game. They will remember it their whole lives. I was honestly underwhelmed by the experience of it. I know many will disagree, but I wasn't the only one that thought that.

Curious how close your game ended to the next game? I find it interesting how it plays out for everyone. Our state championship, we had all the time we wanted to take photos and celebrate. It was a ground based game where the clock didn't stop much. The Class A game followed, but it was almost 2 hours later.

Locker rooms were awful. I agree. Thing is the university doesn't use either of those locker rooms for college games from what I know.

Do you honestly think more people are going to come to a class C or D game if it's at night when it's on TV? I just don't know that it would make a difference. The local fans are all there, and some other football fans, but I just don't think others are going to come because it's at night.

I find your thoughts on the atmosphere interesting. The games I played/coached there...while they looked 'empty' by the stadium standards, they were LOUD! As coaches we talked at the last one that we had to wear the headsets to hear one another talk.

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

again if they dont play four games in Lincoln at the stadium( i will be surprisedif they dont) IT IS the NSAA who is just refusing to do so. So this entire discussion is only a discussion if the NSAA will not adjust the schedule and If that is the case then the member school just have to force them and then maybe think about replacing the NSAA person who they had to force to do what makes sense and other states do.

It's not just the NSAA though. It's the university and NPTV. NPTV has to be willing to have workers and broadcast four games in a day. The University has to be willing to have workers staff parking and the facilities for the extra hours required.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

It's not just the NSAA though. It's the university and NPTV. NPTV has to be willing to have workers and broadcast four games in a day. The University has to be willing to have workers staff parking and the facilities for the extra hours required.

I know for a fact they said they will

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

I know for a fact they said they will

And not that may have all changed again....

 

[opinionated.old.fart]

1. Never stayed in Lincoln the night before. Played the first game once and still drove in the morning of from two hours away. Never stayed anywhere, event when it was 5 hours on the bus. I know several class B schools have stayed when going out west though.

2. Never once dressed in the Husker locker room or the visitor locker room. Was in the toad stool area in east stadium and the small locker room over there.

I do completely agree though that kids would almost 100% say they want to play in Memorial Stadium if at all possible.

Well what you did for the game is on your administration and Head coach (if they listen to him)... IMO it's a "once in a lifetime" event for a kid (unless your from Norfolk Catholic... HA) and there's a total experience to be had by the kids, coaches and parents. If your administration didn't feel that way, that's too bad. 5 hours on a bus and you didn't go down the night before? That's just crazy... again, IMO. To each their own.

 

[hailvictors2]

Well what you did for the game is on your administration and Head coach (if they listen to him)... IMO it's a "once in a lifetime" event for a kid (unless your from Norfolk Catholic... HA) and there's a total experience to be had by the kids, coaches and parents. If your administration didn't feel that way, that's too bad. 5 hours on a bus and you didn't go down the night before? That's just crazy... again, IMO. To each their own.

If you wouldn't do it during the regular season, you shouldn't do it it for the finals. No team is spending the night at a hotel before or after a 5 hour trip in the regular season. A good coach and admin will keep routine in place.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

If you wouldn't do it during the regular season, you shouldn't do it it for the finals. No team is spending the night at a hotel before or after a 5 hour trip in the regular season. A good coach and admin will keep routine in place.

if you play at 10;30 in morning I think i would disagree Even 1 pm would be a big question mark, but like he said its up to each school and coach

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

if you play at 10;30 in morning I think i would disagree Even 1 pm would be a big question mark, but like he said its up to each school and coach

Played at 10:30 one year. Had a breakfast at 6:30... when we would normally have weightlifting. Boarded the bus and drove to Lincoln. Arrived at 9:00 or so. Walked the field to get loose, changed, and the guys played. Same time frame we used for all games all season for arriving, dress, and warmups.

Once took a charter bus paid for by parents to a long trip. Won and came home. Next year had a trip about half as far, we decided to take a regular school bus. Decided we'd save the charter for the trip to Lincoln, and the guys were all on board. Earn the trip to Lincoln, ride the nice bus.

To each their own. Our mindset was always to follow our routine for game day time frame.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

Played at 10:30 one year. Had a breakfast at 6:30... when we would normally have weightlifting. Boarded the bus and drove to Lincoln. Arrived at 9:00 or so. Walked the field to get loose, changed, and the guys played. Same time frame we used for all games all season for arriving, dress, and warmups.

Once took a charter bus paid for by parents to a long trip. Won and came home. Next year had a trip about half as far, we decided to take a regular school bus. Decided we'd save the charter for the trip to Lincoln, and the guys were all on board. Earn the trip to Lincoln, ride the nice bus.

To each their own. Our mindset was always to follow our routine for game day time frame.

Played at 10:30 also left that morning but it was not five hours away. We are talking about five hours away

 

[Mr. Irrelevent]

Played at 10:30 also left that morning but it was not five hours away. We are talking about five hours away

No...I previously talked about not staying when we traveled west over 5 hours for games...that's where the 5 hours comment came from. I had previously said we traveled over 2 hours and never came down the night before.

I would imagine anyone west of Kearney probably does come and stay the night before...heck maybe even west of GI in lower classes with the first game of the day. If it's shorter than 3 hours, I don't imagine many school districts spending the money to stay overnight before.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

No...I previously talked about not staying when we traveled west over 5 hours for games...that's where the 5 hours comment came from. I had previously said we traveled over 2 hours and never came down the night before.

I would imagine anyone west of Kearney probably does come and stay the night before...heck maybe even west of GI in lower classes with the first game of the day. If it's shorter than 3 hours, I don't imagine many school districts spending the money to stay overnight before.

got you, my bad