EWU/Spokane making a bid too...

[chattanoogamocs]

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.


EWU athletic director Bill Chaves called the prospect “exciting for the entire region.”

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/13/riverhawks-to-sit-out-2010/

[Pitz]

Who's next, Jacksonville St?

[grizfan88]

Bowl Championship Subdivision? lol. That writer is stupid.

BCS = Bowl Championship Series.

The subdivision is;

FBS = Football Bowl Subdivision.

[GOKATS]

Makes more sense than Missoula. You can actually fly in from anywhere without worrying about bussing a hundred miles or better due to fog, there's plenty to do, great places to stay and eat, and Joe Albi is a great facility about the right size for the FCS NC game. I doubt if it's going anywhere but Chatty, but I have no problem with the bid.

[CopperCat]

I've been to Joe Albi probably six or seven times and every time we were there I thought it was a great stadium. It is bowled in so it is semi-sheltered from the wind (there isn't much in Spokane anyway). Pretty good outdoor venue, although the weather wouldn't be all that agreeable for some teams. But then again, the NC game has been on the east coast for quite some time so it's the west coast's turn to host it for awhile.

[Ronbo]

http://img.freebase.com/api/trans/raw/wikipedia/images/en_id/8080070

[Baldy]

I've been to Joe Albi probably six or seven times and every time we were there I thought it was a great stadium. It is bowled in so it is semi-sheltered from the wind (there isn't much in Spokane anyway). Pretty good outdoor venue, although the weather wouldn't be all that agreeable for some teams. But then again, the NC game has been on the east coast for quite some time so it's the west coast's turn to host it for awhile.

Not really. The times the I-AA/FCS championships were held on the west coast, the game turned out to be sparcely attended. I think (hope) the NCAA learned it's lesson. Besides when 90% (total guess) or more of the participants in the championship games are east coast teams, it makes sense to keep the game on the east coast.

[UNHFootballAlum]

I'd like to see the game in Phoenix totally from a weather standpoint.

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

Not really. The times the I-AA/FCS championships were held on the west coast, the game turned out to be sparcely attended. I think (hope) the NCAA learned it's lesson. Besides when 90% (total guess) or more of the participants in the championship games are east coast teams, it makes sense to keep the game on the east coast.

Yeah, that 1500 mile drive makes it a piece of cake to make the trip. Keeping it on the east coast all the time isn't the right way to do it. It needs to come out west once in a while, I can buy leaving it out east most of the time, but it is due to move out west for a couple years. xtwocentsx

[chattanoogamocs]

Not really. The times the I-AA/FCS championships were held on the west coast, the game turned out to be sparcely attended. I think (hope) the NCAA learned it's lesson. Besides when 90% (total guess) or more of the participants in the championship games are east coast teams, it makes sense to keep the game on the east coast.

I was asked the same question on Mocfans, here was the answer I came up with (if anyone see any mistakes, feel free to correct me, I scanned quickly)...

Out of 62 possible finalists, teams West of the Mississippi* have only been represented 13 times by 7 teams (Idaho St, Boise St, SFA, Montana, UNI, Montana St, Nevada)

*I did take a couple of liberties...I excluded any team from Louisiana without respect to which side of the Mississippi they are on...and I kept out Arkansas State since they are only about 50 miles from the Mississippi.

On a side note, 33 of the 62 participants have been from the Southern states.

[JaxSinfonian]

Who's next, Jacksonville St?

Hey, the thought had crossed my mind. This would never happen, for many reasons, but it's actually not as crazy as it might sound. Consider:

- The Atlanta airport is less than two hours away; the smaller Birmingham airport is less than 90 minutes from here.

- There's enough hotel capacity in the region to handle two annual NASCAR races at the nearby Talladega SuperSpeedway. Most fans would have to stay a good ways from the stadium, but the worst drive would be about 30 minutes. If Jacksonville was 10-12 miles farther south, I'd be much more serious about proposing this.

- As of next season we'll have a stadium that could handle the game. With the difference between the old north-side stands and the portion now under construction, it probably wouldn't look as good on TV as Finley does. It's already a great place to watch a game, with the sidelines incredibly close to the first row of seats on both sides. I had a friend from work come with me to his first game at Paul Snow a couple weeks ago and the first things he said was, "Wow, there's not a bad seat in this place, is there?"

Of course, many fans would probably be disappointed in the quality of nightlife and dining. There's decent stuff here (or within a 20-30 minute drive), though perhaps not enough of it to accommodate 20,000 visitors. The game would certainly be the biggest thing going on in town that day; it sure wouldn't get lost in the "big-city shuffle."

I really like Chattanooga, though the Friday night kickoff and conflicts with the holiday season have kept me from attending a title game there. I know the game will probably always be in a city Chatty's size or bigger, but a small-town location in the right small town could actually work quite well. I'm thinking someplace like Auburn, Ala., but perhaps without such a massive FBS presence.

Once (or if) Birmingham ever completes its planned domed stadium I could see Jax State and Samford submitting a joint bid to host the title game there.

[EdubAlum]

I would love this:)

[saccat]

I think they should have it at EWU or Montana State. That way there would never be a Home field advantage.

I KID, I KID

[89Hen]

Who's next, Jacksonville St?
Better option than you think. xpeacex

[CopperCat]

Not really. The times the I-AA/FCS championships were held on the west coast, the game turned out to be sparcely attended. I think (hope) the NCAA learned it's lesson. Besides when 90% (total guess) or more of the participants in the championship games are east coast teams, it makes sense to keep the game on the east coast.

When Montana is making the NC game almost every year, then it makes sense to send it out west for awhile. I rest my case.

[89Hen]

Keeping it on the east coast all the time isn't the right way to do it. It needs to come out west once in a while, I can buy leaving it out east most of the time, but it is due to move out west for a couple years. xtwocentsx
But you'd just gambling that a west coast team will be in it that particular year.

Last 10 NC's...
YSU v GSU
Montana v GSU
Montana v Furman
McNeese v WKU
Delaware v Colgate
Montana v JMU
AppSt v UNI
AppSt v UMass
AppSt v Delaware
Richmond v Montana

Every year featured at least one eastern team
Four years featured two eastern teams
Four years featured a western team

How do you think: YSU v GSU, McNeese v WKU, Delaware v Colgate, AppSt v UNI, AppSt v UMass or AppSt v Delaware would have done in the west?

[89Hen]

When Montana is making the NC game almost every year, then it makes sense to send it out west for awhile. I rest my case.
When you don't speak in hyperbole you'd see that nine of the last ten games featured a SoCon or CAA team (four appearances by Montana). xpeacex

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

When you don't speak in hyperbole you'd see that nine of the last ten games featured a SoCon or CAA team (four appearances by Montana). xpeacex

I really would go to the game no matter who was playing if I could actually drive there. My idea of driving is about 1K miles or less. I don't think that is too much to ask, once in a while send it out west. xpeacex

[SideLine Shooter]

Personally, I would like to see it in Las Vegas if it is going to be moved. I'm always in Vegas when the FBS Championship game is played and with the new date that would really work.

[Walkon79]

Personally, I would like to see it in Las Vegas if it is going to be moved. I'm always in Vegas when the FBS Championship game is played and with the new date that would really work.

What about the NCAA gambling rule? There won't be a playoff game in Nevada, let alone a championship game.

[MSUBear42]

http://img.freebase.com/api/trans/raw/wikipedia/images/en_id/8080070

Ugh... soccer lines.

[SideLine Shooter]

What about the NCAA gambling rule? There won't be a playoff game in Nevada, let alone a championship game.

That sucks. My plans are to still be in Vegas thet week. I guess I'll have to miss the NC game since they'll be playing that week also.

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

Ugh... soccer lines.

I had that same thought, only thing worse would be a track around it.

[T-Dog]

I don't know if many of you know this, but Spokane is all the way on the other side of the country. It might be in Canada for all I know.

[89Hen]

I really would go to the game no matter who was playing if I could actually drive there. My idea of driving is about 1K miles or less. I don't think that is too much to ask, once in a while send it out west. xpeacex
I do feel you, but there aren't enough of you to fill the stadium. If it were in Missoula, that's different.... you'd be guaranteed 12-15k Griz fans on top of the hundreds that would come from Richmond, JMU, SIU, UNI... xsmiley_wix