[BigBad]

Why is there such little interest in Ky High Football state championship's? have the same teams been winning the titles so long that no one in the state cares. You even have to search the Hearld Leader to find the scores. What can be done to create more interest in football this time of year.

I say go back to 4 classes and only take the winners and runners up out of each district to start championship play, then let the third and fourth finishing teams play in a separate competition series leading up to Regional Bowl Games. Each Class could have a Bowl Game in each Region. It would generate a bunch of Revenue for the schools, and allow kids more playing time. Trophies are cheap

Say

Southeaster Ky the SEK Bowl
Northeaster Ky NEK Bowl
South Central Ky SCK Bowl
North Central Ky NCK Bowl
South Western Ky SWK Bowl
North Wester KY NWK Bowl


Who Else has a plan and what would it be.

[Tica]

The same teams advance in the playoffs every year because those are the schools that choose to pay attention to their football programs from grande school up. Success is not a secret. It just depends on how hard and how long you are willing to work at it. I dare say, with a few exceptions, the schools with great football teams also have very good academics and good extracurricular programs. Its all in the execution.

[Stardust]

YES, it's so horrible that message boards like this BLOW UP during the playoffs. During these past few weeks (Fridays), we have had to borrow bandwidth because we almost shut down. Over the past five years, we have to continually add bandwidth because we DO SHUTDOWN! We added significantly more to the site after last years massive overload, and we have come close to shutting this year even with the most we have ever had! Attendance at games is as good as ever and social media is at the highest it has ever been, yet Interest is Horrible???? Well, tell the masses it is horrible, because FACTS don't prove the theory of this thread....

[E's Army]

Letting as many teams play as long as possible should stir interest. Judging this board there is a lot of interest. The local papers cover football well. Papers such as the Lexington Herald are not locally owned and their writers are more interested in being a thorn in UK or UofL's side. There is a reason nobody reads newspapers anymore. Friday night the local news reports are full of high school football. It is amazing how many games are covered. The missing link is the big newspapers. Write the Lexington Herald and ask them to have the big shots Tipton and Clay cover sports. They are to busy trying to win a Pulitzer. I like to read local papers on the internet to read about teams. The Harlan Dailey Enterprise was one of my favorite. The Times Tribune in Corbin along with The Whitley Republican do a good job. There is plenty of interest. The KHSAA site also has a wealth of information. 64SUR and mysonis55 show me there is lots of interest.

[Stardust]

^ There is NO lack of interest- NONE!!!

[BigBad]

I wonder what the average regional championship football attendance is, compared to the regional basketball championships. Maybe some of you Stat-whizzes can conjure up a number. We need to figure out how to create some hype this time of year for football statewide, and not just in the Golden Triangle that is Lexington, Louisville and Covington.

[Stardust]

^ Hunh??? Go ask the folks in EKY if there is no hype!!! I'm sorry, but your points don't hold water! NONE!

[footballfever]

I wonder what the average regional championship football attendance is, compared to the regional basketball championships. Maybe some of you Stat-whizzes can conjure up a number. We need to figure out how to create some hype this time of year for football statewide, and not just in the Golden Triangle that is Lexington, Louisville and Covington.

Regional football Championship games in almost all classes will have more in attendance than any of the 16 Region Champ basketball games I believe.

[bucslover68]

Regional football attendance between Belfry and Breathitt is great. Over 21,000 combined for the 3 finals yesterday shows me there is a lot of interest. Radio coverage and online streaming and social media shows me there is great interest in high school football.

[toussaints]

For this state, there's a good amount of interest in football. Yesterday's 1A, 3A, and 4A total attendance was over 21,000. That's good compared to past years.

In all honesty, there wasn't more interest when there were 4 classes than now. It was just the people interested were all at the same level of enthusiasm. Now there are huge football fans, average football fans, and those who support football, but would rather stay at home than go watch a game that doesn't involve their team

[tomcatfan722000]

Really the only place interest is low is out west. The east north and south love football and basketball. As shown by the membership of this site. It used to be mainly just eastern Kentucky. But northern Kentucky and the mountains are catching up. The west is lagging

[Dumpster Diving]

You crazy! Southern and eastern ky live for their football teams. I know most of us in the mountains are detoxing right now from no football

[Poseidon]

I was talking to my Dad about the lack of atmosphere and attendance @ state the past few years. I think there needs to be a venue change so that the small crowds do not effect the atmosphere so much. As of now, there is very little interest in state games outside the participating teams. Add atmosphere of a packed house in a smaller school, more interest would be there, at least from me.

[Poseidon]

You crazy! Southern and eastern ky live for their football teams. I know most of us in the mountains are detoxing right now from no football

Good thing about EKY teams and schools is the packed houses. That adds so much to a game!

[Poseidon]

Regional football attendance between Belfry and Breathitt is great. Over 21,000 combined for the 3 finals yesterday shows me there is a lot of interest. Radio coverage and online streaming and social media shows me there is great interest in high school football.

That many people and very little playoff atmosphere.

[BigBad]

I went to the Williamsburg - Hazard game it was as hyped as any in the state a couple weeks back and the seats were about 30% filled.

I'm just going on my own personal observations.


You're right the smaller venues offers a much better atmosphere....

[RunItUpTheGut]

Why is there such little interest in Ky High Football state championship's? have the same teams been winning the titles so long that no one in the state cares. You even have to search the Hearld Leader to find the scores. What can be done to create more interest in football this time of year.

I say go back to 4 classes and only take the winners and runners up out of each district to start championship play, then let the third and fourth finishing teams play in a separate competition series leading up to Regional Bowl Games. Each Class could have a Bowl Game in each Region. It would generate a bunch of Revenue for the schools, and allow kids more playing time. Trophies are cheap

Say

Southeaster Ky the SEK Bowl
Northeaster Ky NEK Bowl
South Central Ky SCK Bowl
North Central Ky NCK Bowl
South Western Ky SWK Bowl
North Wester KY NWK Bowl


Who Else has a plan and what would it be.

nicker:

How about we keep what were doing and other teams get better?

I would like to see UK get turf so the championship games can be moved there.

[Granny Bear]

I went to the Williamsburg - Hazard game it was as hyped as any in the state a couple weeks back and the seats were about 30% filled.

I'm just going on my own personal observations.


You're right the smaller venues offers a much better atmosphere....

I believe that was the GOTW, wasn't it? Same night Harlan County played Pulaski at home. If you wanted to see a crowd, you should've stopped by Coal Miners Memoral Stadium that night!!!nicker:

Golden triangle, huh? Well if you want some kind of hype like this to generate interest, you could play off of coal in the eastern Kentucky area and do something like...Diamond (something or other). You'll have to get PR to help you here; I've never been very creative.

I personally think the hard work of the coaches, their staff and the kids of eastern Kentucky is what's generating the interest that we are currently enjoying on Friday nights. And the trash talking on the football threads from Bell County to Pike County and back to Pulsaski County (THAT makes a good triangle!!) and includes a lot of mountain schools....that is what's demanding an increase of bandwidth. Appears to me that interest in football at the HS level is healthy; at least it is in my immediate area.

[Belfry0304]

I would just much rather see Bowling Green/Trinity as to those two smashing their opponents.

[Poseidon]

nicker:

How about we keep what were doing and other teams get better?

I would like to see UK get turf so the championship games can be moved there.

I have no problem with the format, just the venue. Needs to be smaller to have a playoff feel and generate interest from non-participating fan bases. UK would be worse for atmosphere IMO. Need smaller stadium.

[Belfry0304]

I have no problem with the format, just the venue. Needs to be smaller to have a playoff feel and generate interest from non-participating fan bases. UK would be worse for atmosphere IMO. Need smaller stadium.

Where though? Where is a small stadium not too small? Belfry doesn't come close to filling up WKU but a lot of places we would overflow... I'm sure other fan bases as well.

[Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A8-gjdWCMAACSp2.jpg:large]

[Poseidon]

Where though? Where is a small stadium not too small? Belfry doesn't come close to filling up WKU but a lot of places we would overflow... I'm sure other fan bases as well.

[Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A8-gjdWCMAACSp2.jpg:large]

Not sure where that would be. But the atmosphere is ho-hum when there are more empty seats than filled ones. No easy fix.

[PaytoPlay]

Other than the long distance from the extreme Eastern part of the state, I have no complaints with WKU for the title games.

But if you wanted a more intimate venue - Georgetown's Toyota Stadium?

[Spud6]

I have a huge interest in high school football and I know a lot of people who feel the same way!

[FBALL]

You would get more people going to the championship games if you played them in Lexington or Louisville. Nothing against Bowling Green but you would draw more unaffiliated fans if the games were there. Just my opinion.

[Thunder Lips]

You would get more people going to the championship games if you played them in Lexington or Louisville. Nothing against Bowling Green but you would draw more unaffiliated fans if the games were there. Just my opinion.

Statistics do not support your claim.

2012 (BG) - 46,738
2011 (BG) - 40,160
2010 (BG) - 47,759
2009 (BG) - 37,339
2008 (LOU) - 34,733
2007 (LOU) - 42,828

[RunItUpTheGut]

More people would show up to LEX than anywhere else.

[MtnHSFootballFan]

More people would show up to LEX than anywhere else.

I think Lexington would draw the greatest crowds, too. It's more centralized and almost everyone in Eastern KY loves Lexington and it's closer to Northern KY and Louisville, too.

[Wise one]

Lexington does not have the facilities to hold the state championships. If UK got artificial turf, then the problem would be the size of the stadium. It would look worse than a UK home game from the fall of 2012. LOL

EKU in Richmond has 90% of the seating on one side, which is bad for both teams on the same side of the stadium.

Papa John is too big. I never thought it was a good location.

KFEC Cardinal Stadium was just horrid.

Georgetown College's Toyota Stadium is too small.

Morehead State and Murray State are too far for way too many schools.

WKU is just a good location. The attendance is as good or better than Louisville, except for the Class 6A game.

[HHellBird]

Why is there such little interest in Ky High Football state championship's? have the same teams been winning the titles so long that no one in the state cares. You even have to search the Hearld Leader to find the scores. What can be done to create more interest in football this time of year.

I say go back to 4 classes and only take the winners and runners up out of each district to start championship play, then let the third and fourth finishing teams play in a separate competition series leading up to Regional Bowl Games. Each Class could have a Bowl Game in each Region. It would generate a bunch of Revenue for the schools, and allow kids more playing time. Trophies are cheap

Say

Southeaster Ky the SEK Bowl
Northeaster Ky NEK Bowl
South Central Ky SCK Bowl
North Central Ky NCK Bowl
South Western Ky SWK Bowl
North Wester KY NWK Bowl


Who Else has a plan and what would it be.

Please show me a link where it has been reported there is little interest in ky football.

Quit making things up just to support your agenda please.
Making falsehhoods like that is just stupid.