Football Finals to Remain in Stark County

8/23/2018 News Release: December 4, 2003

OHIO HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (December 4, 2003)

OHSAA FOOTBALL FINALS TO REMAIN IN STARK COUNTY

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Control today voted unanimously to renew its contract with the Stark County Football Tournament Committee to host the OHSAA state football finals at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and Canton Fawcett Stadium in 2004 and 2005 with an option for 2006. The Greater Columbus Sports Commission was the only other group to submit a proposal to host the finals.

Stark County has been involved with hosting the finals every year since 1990. The latest three-year contract with the committee expired following the 2003 finals.

“The Greater Columbus Sports Commission certainly made an outstanding proposal,” said Rock VanFossen, president of the OHSAA Board of Control and superintendent of the Sandy Valley Local Schools in Magnolia. “But the Board felt that the football committee in Stark County has done a fabulous job hosting our participating schools and their fans. Virtually every school that has made the finals has raved about the outstanding treatment it has received in Stark County, so we did not feel making a change was in the best interest of our member schools at this time.”

For the past six years the championship games have been split between the Paul Brown Tiger Stadium (capacity: 16,392) and Fawcett Stadium (capacity: 22,360), which both have artificial playing surfaces. Since the OHSAA football tournaments began in 1972, Tiger Stadium has hosted the most state championship games with 58, while Fawcett Stadium has hosted 17. Next fall will mark the 33rd year for the OHSAA football tournaments.

The Greater Columbus Sports Commission proposed hosting the games at 22,975-seat Columbus Crew Stadium and 8,500-seat Dublin Coffman High School Stadium. Crew Stadium has natural grass and Coffman Stadium has artificial turf. Both sites hosted OHSAA state semifinal football games this fall.

The seven voting members of OHSAA Board of Control received input on their decision from the two ex- officio members of the Board, the administrative staff of the OHSAA and officers of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.

“Both groups that submitted proposals made outstanding presentations and pointed out the positives of holding the finals at their respective locations,” OHSAA Commissioner Clair Muscaro said. “But I support the Board of Control’s decision to keep the finals in Stark County.”

STATE FINALS FAST FACTS

YEARS OF OHSAA STATE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTS: 32 years (consecutively since 1972), 148 championsh ip games

FUTURE OHSAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS DATES: 2004: Friday and Saturday, December 3 and 4 2005: Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3 2006: Friday and Satruday, December 1 and 2

CANTON FAWCETT STADIUM: Owner - Canton City Schoo ls Capacity - 22,360 Playing Surface - Astro XL 2000 Turf file:///O:/news/sports/news1204.htm 1/2 8/23/2018 News Release: December 4, 2003 MASSILLON PAUL BROWN TIGER STADIUM: Owner - Massillon City Schools Capacity - 16,392 Playing Surface - Pro-Turf

OHSAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS LOCATIONS (1990-93): 1990: Division I - Akron Rubber Bowl (Summit County) Divisions II, III, IV and V - Massillon Paul Brown T iger Stadium 1991-92: Division I - Canton Fawcett Stadium Divisions II, III, IV and V - Massillon P aul Brown Tiger Stadium 1993: All Five Divisions - Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

OHSAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS LOCATIONS/ATTENDANCE (1994-03):

Total High Low Sites Attendance Attendance Attendance 1994: All 6 Divisions - Massillon 57,195 14,689, Div. I 4,764, Div. VI 1995: All 6 Divisions - Massillon 52,720 15,323, Div. I 4,919, Div. VI 1996: All 6 Divisions - Massillon 47,110 10,792, Div. I 6,263, Div. III 1997: All 6 Divisions - Massillon 60,935 16,518, Div. I 7,731, Div. III 1998: 4 Div’s. - Massillon; 2 Div’s. - Canton 56,787 15,092, Div. I 6,462, Div. VI 1999: 4 Div’s. - Canton; 2 Div’s. - Massillon 60,011 14,596, Div. I 7,032, Div. V 2000: 3 Div’s. - Canton; 3 Div’s. - Massillon 57,678 13,892, Div. I 6,533, Div. II 2001: 3 Div’s. - Canton; 3 Div’s. - Massillon 65,663 19,129, Div. I 7,420, Div. V 2002: 3 Div’s. - Canton; 3 Div’s. - Massillon 65,584 20,328, Div. I 7,623, Div. III 2003: 3 Div’s. - Canton; 3 Div’s. - Massillon 60,277* 19,767*, Div. I 6,336*, Div. V (* indicates preliminary figures)

ALL-TIME SITES/NUMER OF TIMES HOSTED OHSAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS: Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium - 58 Ohio Stadium, Columbus - 37 Akron Rubber Bowl - 20 Canton Fawcett Stadium - 17 Dayton Welcome Stadium - 4 Upper Arlington High School M oorehead Memorial Stadium - 3 Ohio Wesleyan Selby Stadium, Delaware - 2 Springfield South High School Evans Stadium - 2 Groveport-Madison High School Stadium - 2 University of Cincinnati Nippert Stadium -1 Columbus Whetstone High School Stadium - 1 Mansfield Senior High School Arlin Field - 1

— OHSAA —

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