mshsaa changes travel policy

[kaching]

A significant change the mshsaa members could do is to have playoff games that have more than a two-hour travel to be moved to neutral sites. Just in class one I can think of Windsor-Thayer, Thayer-East Buch, Monroe City-Haiti and Haiti-Marceline all being long hauls.
There are so many good fields now that there shouldn’t be a problem finding neutral sites.
It’s been on here before that Iowa does this and I imagine other states do to. Time for Missouri to get on board.

 

[USArmyMike]

It will have to come from ADs and principals. I noticed during the season there were several neutral site games. I also like the idea of neutral site games for semifinal games as well

 

[kaching]

yes, I realize schools ultimately run mshssa. that's why I said mshssa members could/should do this as a policy. if its over two hour drive - have it at a neutral site.

 

[PCole]

That sounds like a good idea and probably looks good on paper. But I want to throw this into the mix: As we get deeper into the playoffs, a lot of schools whose teams have been eliminated, but might be a good neutral site, have already winterized their facilities (concession stands, restrooms, etc.). Those folks probably wouldn't be too keen to unwinterize them. (Think I just made up a new word there.)
Then again, to quote the great American conservative comedian, Dennis Miller: "That's just my opinion. I could be wrong."

 

[BearsCountry]

Neutral sites are good in theory. But you would end up with bigger crowds with the home team concept with less cost involved.

 

[thetophat2021]

It will have to come from ADs and principals. I noticed during the season there were several neutral site games. I also like the idea of neutral site games for semifinal games as well

Iowa does this. I completely endorse this!

 

[TadQueasy]

Absolutely not. Teams should not have to give up a home game.

 

[Flint222]

West Plains will heave a big sigh of relief.

 

[sw5890]

I think it's a great idea. It eliminates the home field advantage in a high stakes game and both teams share in the travel burden.

I will never happen though for 2 reasons. It's extra work and maybe cost for MSHSAA to coordinate finding locations. And more importantly there will be less gate revenue from two "away" teams instead of one away team and one usually very large home team.

 

[J. Kane]

West Plains will heave a big sigh of relief.

So would any one who had to go to BFE, I mean West planes

 

[Depth of Knowledge]

How about letting the team traveling choose between 3 options for game? Friday 7pm, Saturday 2pm, or Saturday 7pm, this way the team with the burden of traveling long distance can have options as far as charter bus times, and so on.

If a team travels for four hours one way for quarterfinals they may choose to play Friday night at 7 that way both teams are getting up at the same time and they could leave at 11 am stop half way for an hour and get to the game site around 5. Travel back will be egregiously late but the game is paramount compared to that.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Absolutely not. Teams should not have to give up a home game.

Why should any team GET a home game in the playoffs? Like, the real playoffs. Not districts (sure, I'll open that box again), but the actual playoffs. I think neutral sites for these games are a great idea. Plus, with all the awesome MSHSAA streaming happening, literally anyone could watch for a nominal fee. And by watch, I mean they can pay the nominal fee and probably be subjected to crappy bandwidth in rural areas and unstable feeds. Seems like a perfect solution!

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

I see more teachers and administrators getting burned out and have had enough. Many districts have a hard time getting people to work the gates, concession stands, custodians, etc. Point being if people are struggling to get their own home games covered, I could see it being a struggle to get people to host a game where their own team is not involved.

 

[Rufus R. Jones]

I see more teachers and administrators getting burned out and have had enough. Many districts have a hard time getting people to work the gates, concession stands, custodians, etc. Point being if people are struggling to get their own home games covered, I could see it being a struggle to get people to host a game where their own team is not involved.

Maybe pay more? I know times are tough. Sometimes after all of the asst's, vice's, coordinators of and directors of are paid, there isn't much left.

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

Maybe pay more? I know times are tough. Sometimes after all of the asst's, vice's, coordinators of and directors of are paid, there isn't much left.

IMO that's the only way to get more out of folks. Of course, where does that money come from? Covid year and a half of virtual, half virtual, quarantines, etc. has created a mess. I think most in education would say it is not so much the loss of learning as it is the loss of work ethic, respect, manners, etc. Obv that has been declining for a while. Mask issues have the parents fired up, kids hear mom and dad blasting away at the health dept, school district, etc. so they hear a lot of negative. Parents telling kids "if they tell you to put on a mask, you refuse to do it". Well if dad tells me not to listen about masks, I really don't need to listen about putting my phone up, getting to class on time, doing my work.

College education programs are having lower numbers of enrollees, the rate of people getting out at the beginning of their career is increasing, and teachers at the top end have had enough. Push for charter school expansion, teachers are lazy, "we won't have that dang CRT taught to my kids", new programs added, then a couple years later a better one to replace that one, you get the point. We are going to have a disaster in education in about 10 years time.

 

[hangmanbobbyjaggers]

I think the private schools should host all games to raise more money for their recruiting budget!

 

[freezeoption]

Our school pays 7 bucks to cover games and that's before taxes.