Politician seeks change to HS stadium choices

NT80 · December 10, 2005

Politician seeks change to stadium choice

After HP fans left out of tiny title-game venue, Branch plans hearings

10:37 PM CST on Friday, December 9, 2005

By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – Just when fans thought the dustup over today's Highland Park-Marshall state high school football championship couldn't get any messier: Here come the politicians.

After being slammed with phone calls and e-mails from brokenhearted Highland Park fans, state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, said Friday that he would hold public hearings on the "broken system" that allowed the Marshall coach to pick a tiny stadium that holds a fraction of the fans who would pay to see the game.

It's especially trouble, he said, "in a state that's famous for its 'Friday Night Lights' " and struggling to find money for its public schools.

"It's outrageous that a state final game is being played in a stadium so small that it denies access to thousands of fans, families and friends," said Mr. Branch, who leads a House subcommittee charged with finding revenue sources for schools and whose district includes Highland Park High School.

His counterpart in Marshall, GOP Rep. Bryan Hughes, doesn't agree, saying the system is fair because it doesn't force rural schools to travel for every championship. Mr. Hughes, incidentally, has a ticket to today's game. Mr. Branch won't attend.

Highland Park hasn't won a championship in 48 years, and the school wanted to play at Texas Stadium but lost a coin toss to Marshall, which chose Rose Stadium in Tyler, closer to home. It accommodates 14,000 fans at most.

Each school sold all of its 5,500 tickets in a couple of days – leaving an estimated 20,000 or more fans without tickets.

Some wound up paying scalpers hundreds of dollars. Others paid Marshall residents to buy up some of that town's allotment – prompting a Marshall newspaper columnist to declare that a Scots fan would have to "pry my cold, dead fingers from the stub" before he would let it go to someone other than a "red-blooded Marshall Maverick."

Dallas resident Greg McCoy, a Scots football player in the 1970s, sent a friend to stand in line at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, and still didn't get a ticket because the booster club had sold them all the night before. He'll have to settle for a watch party at his house.

"I was denied," he said with a chuckle. "What I would do is designate a stadium in August and let the teams shoot for a trip to that city. You're losing a lot of revenue the way they're doing it now."

Mr. Branch said he would make a recommendation for changes to the full House education committee next summer. One idea, he said, is for the University Interscholastic League to limit coaches' choices to major stadiums – such as the Astrodome, Texas Stadium or the Alamodome.

UIL officials won't comment on pending legislation, but they noted that schools had resisted changes in the past.

Mr. Branch said the time has come for changes.

"This is a big deal," he said. "My phone has been ringing off the wall. This makes school finance look like a minor issue."

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Sidenote: normally, Baylor's stadium in Waco could have been used for this game and the Southlake game, but the President and troops had it already reserved for an event. Why not College Station and Kyle field?

Edited December 10, 2005 by NT80

NM Green · December 10, 2005

Good for Marshall. I hope they cream the Scots. The Scots are a lot like SMU in that they somehow get a lot of breaks! Its amazing!

My Bishop Lynch Friars use to get some "texas like" calls when playing buy their rules$. Lynch going to Scot Stadium is about as smart as the Mean Green going to Austin - oh wait - we continue to do that anyway.

Go Mavs!

GMG

Coach · December 10, 2005

Highland Park didn't want Kyle Field because it has natural grass. They insisted on Texas Stadium as a "neutral" site and Marshall would not settle for it. They flipped, and HP lost. That's the way it goes. If you are unreasonable or not willing to negotiate a neutral site, be ready to lose the coin flip. I don't think Texas Bowls should go to a pre-determined site just because HP didn't get everything their way for once.

Baby Arm! · December 10, 2005

Highland Park didn't want Kyle Field because it has natural grass. They insisted on Texas Stadium as a "neutral" site and Marshall would not settle for it. They flipped, and HP lost. That's the way it goes. If you are unreasonable or not willing to negotiate a neutral site, be ready to lose the coin flip. I don't think Texas Bowls should go to a pre-determined site just because HP didn't get everything their way for once.
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Gotta dissagree with you there Coach, I think they should do it like basketball and have a predetermined site before the season even starts. Have it rotate around the state and all games there. Div 1 one weekend, Div II the next. Do the A, AA games on Friday night. The AAA, AAAA.AAAAA games on Saturday.

If it's fair to do that in basketball, volleyball, baseball, wrestleing etc...why would it be so unfair in football???

NT80 · December 10, 2005

Highland Park didn't want Kyle Field because it has natural grass.
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So, the HP fans that can't see the game should blame it on the fact their team can't play on natural grass. Other states would just laugh.

Arkstfan · December 10, 2005

Learn something new every day. I thought everyone played their title games at pre-determined site. Some just make sense because of facility (ie. Missouri playing at the Edward Jones Dome, Iowa playing at Northern Iowa's dome) and some due to geography Tennessee playing in Nashville or Murfreesboro, Arkansas playing in Little Rock.

Cooley · December 10, 2005

I don't care where the games are played but the venue should accommodate everyone willing to pay for a ticket and make the trip.

This is Texas! 12,000 is ridicules for a championship game. Heck, I'm sure HP would not have objected to playing back at Fouts this week.

Coach · December 10, 2005

There is nothing wrong with the system except for the entitled HP crowd throwing a fit when their coach refused a real neutral site and they lost the coin flip. Had HP won the flip, this thread wouldn't even be here right now...that is no reason to completely revamp the way the playoffs are done.

GoMeanGreen1999 · December 11, 2005

The Texas playoff system is about as screwed up as the current bowl system. I hear talk that they want to add a fourth team to the playoff mix which would make it even more ridiculous than it is now. Why can't we create a 6A like other states and make it where you must have a winning record to go to the playoffs?

There is NO reason why you should play a state championship game in a stadium that small. I am not a HP fan by any stretch, but come on. The state needs to pick one or two venues where they play the title games EVERY year.

ipEAGLE · December 11, 2005

What else bugs me... there is not a true state champion in any classification (except 1a... thanks Zeke). Why not have the two divisions play each other and determine a REAL state champion.

"Yeah... we are the state champs in 3a!!!!"

"Ummm... no your not we are the state champs in 3a!!!!!"

The system is flawed in more ways than one.

And don't give me the enrollment argument.... if your team is good it does not matter.

OK... Back to COLLEGE Football.

Edited December 11, 2005 by ipEAGLE

Zeke · December 11, 2005

What else bugs me... there is not even a true state champion in any classification.
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1A -- no divisions.

NTEagle08 · December 11, 2005

What else bugs me... there is not a true state champion in any classification (except 1a... thanks Zeke). Why not have the two divisions play each other and determine a REAL state champion.
"Yeah... we are the state champs in 3a!!!!"
"Ummm... no your not we are the state champs in 3a!!!!!"
The system is flawed in more ways than one.
And don't give me the enrollment argument.... if your team is good it does not matter.
OK... Back to COLLEGE Football.
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Time is the main factor why you don't see a true championship, 3 teams from each district going to the playoffs in 32 districts would be 96 teams. You would give the district champs a first round bye, so it would take 7 weeks to finish a championship bracket.

ipEAGLE · December 11, 2005

1 REAL state champion has been done before.

My dad was a member of the 1969 Iowa Park 2a state champion team... back then there was only 1 state champion per classification and only 4 classes (1a,2a,3a,4a).

When did the UIL go to the 2 state champions per class?

I don't see how adding one extra game is that big of a deal.

Edited December 11, 2005 by ipEAGLE

Baby Arm! · December 11, 2005

1 REAL state champion has been done before.
My dad was a member of the 1969 Iowa Park 2a state champion team... back then there was only 1 state champion per classification and only 4 classes (1a,2a,3a,4a).
When did the UIL go to the 2 state champions per class?
I don't see how adding one extra game is that big of a deal.
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Because of the increased population in this state, i.e. more schools/teams and a finite number of districts in each classification. A lot of good teams were staying home for the playoffs. In my day only 2 teams made the playoffs, there was no divisions. One particular year we finished the season 8-2 and third place in the district so we stayed home.

Im not a fan of the division format, I think 3 teams should make the playoffs, give the district champion a bye in the first round.

untbowler · December 11, 2005

just wait though I believe in the next year or 2 they might be bumping up to 4 Teams per District in the playoffs. Starting to look more and more like the Bowl System where half the schools advance to the post season.

buff64 · December 11, 2005

I think Rep. Dan Branch and the other state officials should mandate that all Texas High Schools should have stadiums that seat at least 30,000 fans. Oh yes, the state would not provide funds for these upgrades , but it would be a state -wide mandate.

This from a group of people in three legistative sessions this year have been unable to come up with a school finance bill that would satisfy the courts. Oh yes, they did manage to give themselves a raise.

VideoEagle · December 11, 2005

I don't see how adding one extra game is that big of a deal.
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If you are in Div. II, then the Championship game is the weekend before Christmas. Some years it's less than 7 days before Christmas.

I had a niece who went to Judson in the 80s. She was a Cheerleader. Besides all of the normal multiple uniforms my sister had to buy, every year when they got deep into the playoff, they had to get a "santa" version of their cheerleading uniform! Of course, it was never the same from the year before.

FirefightnRick · December 11, 2005

If you are in Div. II, then the Championship game is the weekend before Christmas. Some years it's less than 7 days before Christmas.
I had a niece who went to Judson in the 80s. She was a Cheerleader. Besides all of the normal multiple uniforms my sister had to buy, every year when they got deep into the playoff, they had to get a "santa" version of their cheerleading uniform! Of course, it was never the same from the year before.
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You mean your niece "chose" to be a cheerleader, knowing ahead of time about all the multiple uniforms your sister would have to buy every year and that when Judson usually went deep into the playoffs they knew they would have to get a santa version, and that it usually changed from year to year?

Rick

Edited December 11, 2005 by FirefightnRick

Texas Stranger · December 12, 2005

The basic problem is that coaches do not want to give up control of site. Specifically, they want the ability to try and get an inner-city opponent with lots of speed on a grass field instead of turf, or a passing opponent outdoors in November/December, etc. They also want to control travel as much as they can (can't blame 'em).

I wish Marshall hadn't chosen Tyler as a site......I wish they'd chosen Marshall. That would make urban/suburban coaches think twice about trying to bully rural coaches into accepting stadiums in their backyard as "neutral" sites.

SilverEagle · December 12, 2005

Well, obviously the other factor to look at is the "try not to piss off your opponent and their fans" factor. I don't know what the final score would have been had everyone been in agreement on the site, but the HP football team obviously had the last word on this controversy.

Having said all that, I have to say that I'm about as sympathetic to the problems of the HP fans as I am to any problems that SMU fans might have.

I'm sure that all of those HP fans that didn't get to attend the game will be able to purchase a DVD of the championship game...probably in surround sound......with multiple camera angles.....and "extra features".

And unlike North Texas fans, they will probably be able to purchase THEIR DVD sometime this week.

Edited December 12, 2005 by SilverEagle

Coach · December 12, 2005

The game was on TV (KDFI), radio (103.3 I believe), and both of those mediums were broadcast live on the internet as well. I watched the first quarter from my computer in Abilene.

Good post, Stranger.

GreenTiger_OriginalAcct · December 12, 2005

My wife (a school teacher) was more interested in the fact that he stated that school finance was "minor issue" compared to the stadium issue. She did not like that at all! I was forced to take her to two different malls to help calm her down!!!

FirefightnRick · December 12, 2005

My wife (a school teacher) was more interested in the fact that he stated that school finance was "minor issue" compared to the stadium issue. She did not like that at all! I was forced to take her to two different malls to help calm her down!!!
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I now like GreenTiger as one of my fav's, because evidently after this post I know he shares my world.

Rick

Got5onIt · December 13, 2005

Why has HP not moved up into 5A yet?? A friend of mine who follows high school football religiously was telling me HP misses the 5A dropoff every year by 4 or 5 students.

Seriuosly, 59-0 in the state title game, A FOOTBALL GAME, is a ridiculous .

NTEagle08 · December 13, 2005

Why has HP not moved up into 5A yet?? A friend of mine who follows high school football religiously was telling me HP misses the 5A dropoff every year by 4 or 5 students.
Seriuosly, 59-0 in the state title game, A FOOTBALL GAME, is a ridiculous .
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I think more impressive in that game was that Marshall was held to only 21 yds of total offense and TWO first downs, unheard of in a game.

I thought I remember hearing rumors about how HP was able to stay in 4A by misleading the numbers, hmm... alot lot SMU's attendence numbers. Granted those were just rumors.