CHSAA’s board of directors met on Friday during their annual retreat. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
VAIL — CHSAA’s board of directors discussed the possibility of moving state championship sites away from major venues in certain instances here on Friday.
The conversation, still very preliminary, centered around how to increase attendance at certain championship events.
“The question is,” said Harry Waterman, assistant CHSAA commissioner, “do you like having premier sites regardless of cost?”
Some on the board pointed out that those so-called premier sites — including Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and other professional and college venues — were great for the athletes and their families. But others questioned if it made sense — both financially and in terms of attendance.
A few years ago, the Class 3A state basketball tournaments were drawing 12,000 fans. In 2014 at the Air Force Academy, those tournaments drew 5,000. The 3A basketball tournament site is still up in the air for 2015.
“It is a little bit of a difficult search,” assistant commissioner Bert Borgman, who heads basketball, told the board.
CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico told the board members he agreed with the sentiment that major venues are a great experience for athletes — “but at what point is it too expense?” He is seeking a “happy medium,” he said — and that was the purpose of the discussion.
The alternative would be to move certain championship events to high school sites, or even smaller college or pro venues.
This idea was also discussed at the league presidents and district athletic directors meeting during the All-School Summit last week.
If a change were to be made, it wouldn’t be for another three to four years, Angelico said.