UIL Picks Reliant Stadium for State Championship 5A Games

[MrMustang1965]

from The Houston Chronicle:

The state's best high school football teams will battle for the ultimate prize at Reliant Stadium in December.

The University Interscholastic League announced Wednesday that the home of the Texans has been selected as the site for the Class 5A Division I and Division II state championship games, which will be played Dec. 20.

This is the third year the UIL has used a pre-determined site for the 5A title games. In 2006 and '07, the San Antonio Alamodome was the site. Traditionally, participating coaches mutually agreed on the state championship game sites, which is still the practice in 4A and below.

"We're excited about Reliant Stadium hosting the 5A football finals this season," UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said. "We will work closely with Reliant Park in creating a first-class championship experience for the schools, fans and students involved in the games."

The Division II championship game will be held at 2 p.m., followed by the Division I matchup at 7 p.m.

[RGV Pony]

Nothing like a big ol' stadium with scores of empty seats.

[MrMustang1965]

Nothing like a big ol' stadium with scores of empty seats.

The agreement with Reliant Stadium is for 2008 & 2009. Odds are that the state championship game will be held in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium beginning in 2010.

[ThadFilms]

Nothing like a big ol' stadium with scores of empty seats.

We know nothing about that feeling, of course.

[SMU Hockey 2010]

Nothing like a big ol' stadium with scores of empty seats.

We know nothing about that feeling, of course.

I doubt there'll be that many empty seats...Houston is crazy about high school football. And disgustingly overpopulated.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

I do not like the UIL picking a predetermied site. What if 2 Norh Texas teams have to go to Houston for the state game. Ridiculous!

[FroggieFever]

Nothing like a big ol' stadium with scores of empty seats.

We know nothing about that feeling, of course.

I doubt there'll be that many empty seats...Houston is crazy about high school football. And disgustingly overpopulated.

Exactly...I actually think that place might be packed.

[RGV Pony]

I hope they fill it. It would dwarf these attendance figures:

Attendance for these 10 games are among the highest on record in state history:

Attendance Game Site Year
49,953 Plano vs. Port Neches-Groves Texas Stadium 1977*
46,339 Southlake Carroll vs. Euless Trinity Texas Stadium 2006
45,790 Highland Park vs. Waco Cotton Bowl 1945*
45,000 Houston Washington vs. Galveston Rice Stadium 1968
45,000 Dallas Adams vs. Richardson Cotton Bowl 1967
39,102 Garland vs. Katy Astrodome 1999*
39,102 Stephenville vs. Port Neches-Groves Astrodome 1999*
38,570 Port Neches-Groves vs. Houston Kashmere Astrodome 1977
38,374 Plano vs. Highland Park Texas Stadium 1980
38,000 Odessa vs. San Antonio Jefferson Memorial Stadium (Austin) 1946
36,000 Fort Bend Willowridge vs. Houston Yates Rice Stadium 1988

*=Championship game

[PonySnob]

It would be nice if our team could play in front of crowds like those listed in the previous post!

[MrMustang1965]

I hope they fill it. It would dwarf these attendance figures:

Attendance for these 10 games are among the highest on record in state history:

Attendance Game Site Year
49,953 Plano vs. Port Neches-Groves Texas Stadium 1977*
46,339 Southlake Carroll vs. Euless Trinity Texas Stadium 2006
45,790 Highland Park vs. Waco Cotton Bowl 1945*
45,000 Houston Washington vs. Galveston Rice Stadium 1968
45,000 Dallas Adams vs. Richardson Cotton Bowl 1967
39,102 Garland vs. Katy Astrodome 1999*
39,102 Stephenville vs. Port Neches-Groves Astrodome 1999*
38,570 Port Neches-Groves vs. Houston Kashmere Astrodome 1977
38,374 Plano vs. Highland Park Texas Stadium 1980
38,000 Odessa vs. San Antonio Jefferson Memorial Stadium (Austin) 1946
36,000 Fort Bend Willowridge vs. Houston Yates Rice Stadium 1988

*=Championship game

Unfortunately, attendance records were not kept in the days of the Fort Worth Masonic Home's Mighty Mites incredible run when coached by future SMU head coach Rusty Russell. SMU alum Jim Dent chronicles in his book Twelve Mighty Orphans that some of the Mighty Mites playoff games drew larger crowds than some of those games listed above back in the 1930s!