Spokane/EWU submits bid to host NC game

[dbackjon]

Eastern bids on title game
College football: The Spokane Regional Sports Commission and Eastern Washington University have submitted a bid to host the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Joe Albi Staium for three years, beginning in 2011.

Chattanooga, Tenn., has been the host city the past 10 years, and will again host the 2009 event on Dec. 18. But the NCAA, according Chris Frye, the SRSC director of marketing and research, has solicited bids for next year. At that time, the title game will be moved to the first Friday of January, prior to the Bowl Championship Subdivision title game.

Today is the deadline for submitting bids to host the 2010 championship game, which will again be televised by ESPN. Frye has heard that Chattanooga, Missoula, Mont., and Phoenix, Ariz., are among other cities expected to bid.

According to Frye, the NCAA likely won’t make a determination of a host city until the first week of March.

EWU athletic director Bill Chaves called the prospect “exciting for the entire region.”
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/o ... -out-2010/

[putter]

Would be a good location for the West. Easy to get to and a large, familiar base with FCS football. I am not fond of the concrete in Joe Albi but if they got sprint-turn that would be a good place for the game.

[DuckDuckGriz]

You could easily count on 20,000+ Griz fans at that one.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Well I'll be damned, I like to hear news like that!

[ChetSteadman]

You could easily count on 20,000+ Griz fans at that one.

You've got to make it, first!

[JMU DJ]

Are there anymore renovations planned for EWU? If not, this does not seem like the Ideal venue for a NC football game. What's the seating capacity? 12K? I'm not talking about standing out in the parking lot/around the track and watching the game either.

[kalm]

Are there anymore renovations planned for EWU? If not, this does not seem like the Ideal venue for a NC football game. What's the seating capacity? 12K? I'm not talking about standing out in the parking lot/around the track and watching the game either.

The proposal is at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane rather than EWU's on campus stadium in Cheney, Woodward Field. I'm not sure of Joe Albi's capacity but I know it's over 20,000k.

Spokane does a terrific job hosting large sporting events like Bloomsday, Hoopfest, US Figure Skating Championships, NCAA hoops sub-regionals etc. But the weather question is valid both from a standpoint of air traffic delays and attendance.

And I find nothing wrong with it coming out west for a few years.

[JMU DJ]

The proposal is at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane rather than EWU's on campus stadium in Cheney, Woodward Field. I'm not sure of Joe Albi's capacity but I know it's over 20,000k.

Spokane does a terrific job hosting large sporting events like Bloomsday, Hoopfest, US Figure Skating Championships, NCAA hoops sub-regionals etc. But the weather question is valid both from a standpoint of air traffic delays and attendance.

And I find nothing wrong with it coming out west for a few years.

Guess I should have read to the end of the first post to see the stadium.... that looks muuuuuuuch better and I could see it happening at this stadium.

[89Hen]

This is a joke, right?

[93henfan]

This is a joke, right?

If not, I'm thinking DelState/Dover need to get the ball rolling on their bid.

[89Hen]

If you sort the NC games by attendance, the bottom two are:

1986 - GSU vs ArkSt - Tacoma, WA - 4,419
1985 - GSU vs Furman - Tacoma, WA - 5,306

I feel fairly confident the NCAA won't make that mistake again.

[kalm]

If you sort the NC games by attendance, the bottom two are:

1986 - GSU vs ArkSt - Spokane, WA - 4,419
1985 - GSU vs Furman - Spokane, WA - 5,306

I feel fairly confident the NCAA won't make that mistake again.

According to Wiki those two years it was played in Tacoma which is only 300 miles away from Spokane and Cheney. Where did you get your info?

[89Hen]

According to Wiki those two years it was played in Tacoma which is only 300 miles away from Spokane and Cheney. Where did you get your info?

You are correct. Tacoma. Would that make a difference though?

[kalm]

According to Wiki those two years it was played in Tacoma which is only 300 miles away from Spokane and Cheney. Where did you get your info?

You are correct. Tacoma. Would that make a difference though?

I think so. At that time PSU was still DII, EWU had just transitioned up, and Montana was still a basketball school. So you brought the Nat. Championship game to a market without a 1AA fan base for 300 miles, and not a quality 1AA program in the entire region. I'd say it's a miracle Tacoma got that much attendance.

Spokane would do better simply because of the EWU, Montana, and even MSU fans in the area. Also, Tacoma is right next to Seattle so you have much more competition - Seahawks, Sonics (at that time) UW, UPS, PLU, plus all the other attractions of a major metropolitan area (ie the game got lost in the mix). Spokane on the other hand is small enough (400,000) to put an event like this on the front page and promote the crap out of it - which our area has been very successfull at doing for other sporting events.

[dbackjon]

According to Wiki those two years it was played in Tacoma which is only 300 miles away from Spokane and Cheney. Where did you get your info?

You are correct. Tacoma. Would that make a difference though?

You ever BEEN to Tacoma?


What would the attendence be in Chatty for say, Maine vs NAU?

[89Hen]

What would the attendence be in Chatty for say, Maine vs NAU?

Equally crappy as Spokane or Orlando or San Antonio... but what are the chances of that match-up? You have to have it in a place where you have the best chance to get at least one team that can drive.

[89Hen]

Spokane on the other hand is small enough (400,000) to put an event like this on the front page and promote the crap out of it - which our area has been very successfull at doing for other sporting events.

Like what? Honest question.

[dbackjon]

What would the attendence be in Chatty for say, Maine vs NAU?

Equally crappy as Spokane or Orlando or San Antonio... but what are the chances of that match-up? You have to have it in a place where you have the best chance to get at least one team that can drive.

Which there is - Montana








All that being said, I still favor Chatty

[AZGrizFan]

If you sort the NC games by attendance, the bottom two are:

1986 - GSU vs ArkSt - Tacoma, WA - 4,419
1985 - GSU vs Furman - Tacoma, WA - 5,306

I feel fairly confident the NCAA won't make that mistake again.

Yeah, I'm sure that the NCAA gives a SHIT what happened 25 years ago.

[89Hen]

You have to have it in a place where you have the best chance to get at least one team that can drive.

Which there is - Montana

Not true. How many NC games has Montana been in? Compare that with GSU + AppSt + Furman + Delaware...

[89Hen]

Yeah, I'm sure that the NCAA gives a **** what happened 25 years ago.

Those that choose to ignore history...

[TwinTownBisonFan]

i dont understand the idea of putting the NC game in frozen snowbound location (this goes extra double for Fargo, before you jump down my throat)

if you can choose the location... why not go somewhere at least halfways warm???

my point would be - you can boost attendance from the "aw hell, it's a great excuse to go to (Vegas, Phoenix, Orlando, Memphis, wherever)" crowd... i know i would think twice about going to zoo-town or spokane if ndsu made it... but i'd be on my way if it were in Orlando or Phoenix (Phoenix has a 15k or so NDSU alums... let's do it there!)

[Grizalltheway]

Spokane on the other hand is small enough (400,000) to put an event like this on the front page and promote the crap out of it - which our area has been very successfull at doing for other sporting events.

Like what? Honest question.

Read the thread, Melvin.

[AZGrizFan]

Yeah, I'm sure that the NCAA gives a **** what happened 25 years ago.

Those that choose to ignore history...

Cheny/Spokane > Tacoma. By a long shot.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Which there is - Montana

Not true. How many NC games has Montana been in? Compare that with GSU + AppSt + Furman + Delaware...

Montana has been in more or as many as any team on your list. Am I missing a point here? Also it is an easy drive and even if Montana wasn't in it there would be a bunch of MSU, Montana, EWU, and so forth fans there. I wouldn't miss it one single time it was there.

On top of what AZ said the landscape of 1AA football is quite different in this area now than it was back then. So that capacity that you posted is not relevant now.

Maybe the NCAA should only concentrate on something from 25 years ago in a completely different location and customer base and make the decisions based only on historical attendance.