NASHVILLE — The BlueCross Bowl is staying in the Scenic City, at least for the next two high school football seasons.
On Wednesday afternoon, the TSSAA Board of Control voted 11-0 to extend Chattanooga’s contract to host the state prep football championships at Finley Stadium through the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
After informing the board the new contract would include an increase in the price for both parking and game tickets, Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Executive Director Mark Reeves recommended Chattanooga should remain as the host site of the three-day event.
There were no questions or discussion from board members, and the unanimous vote carried.
The increase in prices will be implemented this season, with the parking rates raised from $10 per vehicle to $15 and ticket prices also going up by $5. Digital tickets, which had sold for $10, will now cost $15; tickets sold the day of the event at the Finley Stadium gates will cost $20.
“We’ve been working with TSSAA to ensure the relationship continues another two years, so we’re excited to remain the host of the event,” said Tim Morgan, chief sports officer at Chattanooga Sports, the agency that promotes sports tourism in the region. “When I say ‘we,’ it’s not just Chattanooga Sports, I’m including community partners who have worked collectively together to make sure this is a true community approach.
“The increase in parking and ticket prices is something we had to include because we are simply trying to offset the operating cost of the event,” Morgan said by phone.
The original contract, which included a $250,000 guarantee to the TSSAA, remains. However, under the new contract, Chattanooga Sports will receive the next $50,000 over that guaranteed ticket sales amount. Any amount over $300,000 in ticket sales will be split 50/50 between the TSSAA and Chattanooga Sports.
The BlueCross Bowl — nine football state title games played during a three-day stretch in early December — has had a $5.5 million economic impact on the city in the two years Chattanooga has hosted, according to a study. In each instance, two area teams have won state titles, with McCallie (Division II-AAA) and South Pittsburg (Class 1A) as champions in 2021 and Baylor (DII-AAA) and Tyner (Class 2A) earning titles last year.
More than 50,000 fans have attended the event since Finley Stadium became the host site, including a high mark of 27,052 in the first year. Those fans also bought roughly $200,000 worth of food and beverages at Finley.
“Once last year’s BlueCross Bowl ended, we began discussions and making plans for what needs to take place for the event to remain at Finley Stadium,” said Matthew Gillespie, executive assistant director for the TSSAA, approached after the meeting. “There was never a bid process that opened up for anyone else to submit a bid. We are pleased that we could work out an extension to remain in Chattanooga.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.