AIA Attempt To Solve The Puzzle Of The Football Championship
Should be easy to program of six state championship high school football games, right?
Find some places, pay rent and a whistle. What is so difficult?
Find some places, pay rent and a whistle. What is so difficult?
Tell the Arizona Interscholastic Association Chief Operating Officer Chuck Schmidt. For weeks, even months, the AFP has tried to fix the dates and venues for the 2011 title game, but the school of the Board of Directors does not yet have a final resolution.
The reason: the grass.
No, AIA officials do not smoke, despite what some high school coaches and sports managers think. The absence of an artificial playing surface in the valley makes planning more difficult six games that the fans think.
"We have a place where you can play several games on Saturday, said Schmidt.
Because of the AIA is to thank you for two available spots in town - University of Phoenix Stadium and Sun Devil Stadium - and the teams and leagues that use these sites.
For example: Ideally, the AIA could play in the big league school - Division I and Division II - University of Phoenix Stadium in November 1926, Saturday after Thanksgiving. But the Arizona Cardinals have three consecutive home games since Dec. 4 - assuming there season - and Schmidt said the team and NFL officials fear that under normal operating conditions is compromised under the weight of two high school games.
Another option is to play Division at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Saturday night, and Division II game in Sun Devil Stadium during the day. But it is problematic, because the first time Pac-12 championship game is designed to December 3, and ASU to host the event.
"They want a lot of time to prepare the ground and make sure it is in the shape of the Pac-12 wants," Schmidt said.
And if the University of Phoenix can be used only for one game and ASU does not take any games played that Saturday? AIA could groped to find another place or time Division II game Friday night, which makes the fans, and rival schools unhappy.
See, is not as simple as it seems.
"We try to create a win, win, win, win for schools, venues, fans and children," said Schmidt, "and there are many things that go into that formula."
AIA has been able to firm up a few commitments in the autumn.
Division VI championship - eight men's soccer - will be played at Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain later in late November. Division III, IV and V games will be played inside the Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University, 26 November.
The best offer for the big schools?
The Division game will be played at the University of Phoenix, the game of Section II of the USS.
Some fans are not happy that the five races in one day, but what are the alternatives? AIA was blown up last year, when the Class 5A Division I and Division II title games were played on Monday night.
Championship experience is better on Saturday that the parents and fans calling trying to leave work early and fighting traffic during rush hour.
Schmidt said he hopes to have the dates, times and places completed in a few weeks.
But he admitted he said that a month ago.
"The main thing we're trying to get everyone to agree," he said.
And when all these parties are trying to protect their own interests, which can be extremely difficult.
