NCAA likes what it sees in Scenic City (T-FP)

[chattanoogamocs]

Not good news for those who would like to see the Division I Football Championship move...

http://www.tfponline.com/assets/index/tfpONLINE_CTFPlogo.gif

By Mark Wiedmer
Columnist

A cold rain soaking his father's grand dream come true, Gordon Davenport Jr. looked out over Finley Stadium and Davenport Field early Thursday afternoon and softly said, "This is what he had in mind. He saw this long before most of us did."

Because Gordon Davenport Sr. would never take "no" for an answer regarding his goals for University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football, and because Max Finley's civic pride persuaded him to help make that dream a reality, Finley Stadium will host its 10th consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision championship game four weeks from today.

OK, so it's really the same Division I-AA title game it's been the past nine years. Roll with it, BCS elitists. It's still the highest level of college football using a playoff to crown its national champion.

And after hosting 10 straight, our town is now the closest thing to a permanent host the event has seen. Or as Dennis Poppe, the NCAA's managing director of football championships, said during Thursday's news conference, "The NCAA doesn't often do business with one community for this long a period of time."

The NCAA has done business with Omaha, Neb., the annual site of the College World Series, for more than 50 years. Poppe isn't yet ready to make that kind of commitment to the Scenic City, but he did say, "After 10 years, we're looking forward to continuing here for as long as we can."

To help cement that, the Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee commissioned Signco of Chattanooga to produce giant metal plaques commemorating the nine previous champs crowned at Finley.

Hung between the two skybox floors on the stadium's home side and fanning out from the middle, the colorful signs display the year, the logo of the winning school and each game's score. Between them -- four are currently on one side, five on the other -- are the words "Wall of Champions."

"We've got room for 44 total, and 34 years from now I won't have to worry about what we'll do then," joked Sports Committee chief Merrill Eckstein.

Just the fact that we're doing it now is yet another reason for the NCAA to feel good about Finley hosting this event for years to come.

"The signs are another indication of making this a special place," Poppe said. "Chattanooga just gets it. Whenever we've asked for something, they've delivered. When we had problems with the field, Gordon Davenport (Jr.) and others stepped up and put in a new (artificial) field in three months. That just doesn't happen.

Rest of the article...
http://p197.ezboard.com/fmoctalkfrm3.showMessage?topicID=3576.topic

[chattanoogamocs]

If I get a chance, I will go down to the stadium this weekend and try and get some pics of the "Wall of Champions"

[UMass922]

If I get a chance, I will go down to the stadium this weekend and try and get some pics of the "Wall of Champions"

Please do! Sounds really cool.

[SirApp]

It really is a great football stadium, especially with the new turf they put in last year. I hope to see the championship game there for a long time.

Kinda odd how everytime I go there, they have fireworks, whether it be for championships or just regular season games. I love the fireworks. (I'm a huge pyro:D )

[MYTAPPY]

I had a great time in the Nooga last year. Of course it helps win you win. Sorry UNI:D . It is only about 5 1/2 hour drive from Charlotte and the Nooga has a lot to offer. Hope to be there in a month.

[Maverick]

Sounds like bluehenbillk isn't getting much support for his evaluation of Chattanooga that he posted earlier this year!!

[GtFllsGriz]

The Wall of Champions is a great idea. A source of pride for every team that won the big one. Makes me wish the first championship at Marshall would have been played at Chatty.

Congrats to Chatty for always exploring ways to make the game bigger and better.

[bluehenbillk]

Sounds like bluehenbillk isn't getting much support for his evaluation of Chattanooga that he posted earlier this year!!

Man am I still getting flack for that? All I said was there isn't much to do in Chattanooga, except to find a local watering hole & drink. Where exactly am I off base with that?

That being said, I'll restate, I'm fine with Chattanooga hosting the game, but I think it should be moved around the country and one site shouldn't have it more than 3 years consecutively.

[chattanoogamocs]

Dang Maverick has a longer memory than me...I had forgotten bluehens evaluation...thanks for the reminder xlolx

I like to think that the game has grown on people in Chattanooga over the years. I admit, the first couple of years that I went, I only did to because I was working it in some form or fashion. But now I look forward to it every year, no matter who the teams. The whole event is infectious...once you go, you want to go back. I think we see a little incremental increase every year. I lot of it has to do with civic pride, many really feel like it is "our" event now and want to see it do as well as it can because it reflects on us as a community.

At least that is the way I feel.

[*****]

If one can't find anything to do in Chatty other than drink they are not trying.

LONG LIVE 'NOOGA!

[Tod]

Dang Maverick has a longer memory than me...I had forgotten bluehens evaluation...thanks for the reminder xlolx

I like to think that the game has grown on people in Chattanooga over the years. I admit, the first couple of years that I went, I only did to because I was working it in some form or fashion. But now I look forward to it every year, no matter who the teams. The whole event is infectious...once you go, you want to go back. I think we see a little incremental increase every year. I lot of it has to do with civic pride, many really feel like it is "our" event now and want to see it do as well as it can because it reflects on us as a community.

At least that is the way I feel.

Me, too. And AGS has had a LOT to do with that. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[blukeys]

Dang Maverick has a longer memory than me...I had forgotten bluehens evaluation...thanks for the reminder xlolx

I like to think that the game has grown on people in Chattanooga over the years. I admit, the first couple of years that I went, I only did to because I was working it in some form or fashion. But now I look forward to it every year, no matter who the teams. The whole event is infectious...once you go, you want to go back. I think we see a little incremental increase every year. I lot of it has to do with civic pride, many really feel like it is "our" event now and want to see it do as well as it can because it reflects on us as a community.

At least that is the way I feel.


For the record, I think there are reasonable arguments to be made for sites other than Chatty. We have had good discussions in years past on just this issue and many suitable alternatives have been mentioned.

With all that said, I think an important component of any future discussion should be the commitment of the Chatty area to making this a quality event. They seem to learn from mistakes and do their best to improve things. While any Local Chamber of Commerce may promise things Chattanooga has consistently strived to make the event better each year. Any future decision should consider the level of performance the local officials have demonstrated.

NASCAR has been consistently taking from long term older tracks their second yearly races and awarding them to new venues. They have yet to do so at Dover Downs and one reason frequently cited is the level of support from the local community and local officials. If it makes sense for 160,000fans, It ought to make sense for 15,000.

[chattanoogamocs]

A lot of the credit has to go to Merrill Eckstein, the head of the Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee...he, and his small but tireless staff, work tremendously hard on every event they are given charge of.

(disclaimer: I have said it before, but I admit that I am biased, I interned for him at the GCSEC)

[BearsCountry]

For the record, I think there are reasonable arguments to be made for sites other than Chatty. We have had good discussions in years past on just this issue and many suitable alternatives have been mentioned.

With all that said, I think an important component of any future discussion should be the commitment of the Chatty area to making this a quality event. They seem to learn from mistakes and do their best to improve things. While any Local Chamber of Commerce may promise things Chattanooga has consistently strived to make the event better each year. Any future decision should consider the level of performance the local officials have demonstrated.

NASCAR has been consistently taking from long term older tracks their second yearly races and awarding them to new venues. They have yet to do so at Dover Downs and one reason frequently cited is the level of support from the local community and local officials. If it makes sense for 160,000fans, It ought to make sense for 15,000.

NASCAR wont take away the Dover race bc it serves Philadelphia and Baltimore markets.

[PantherRob82]

What about Lookout Mountain? :D