For the second straight year, Chattanooga will be the epicenter for Tennessee's largest high school state championship event as Finley Stadium once again hosts the BlueCross Bowl.
The nine prep football championships -- three games played each of the next three days -- kick off Thursday morning just before lunch and continue through Saturday night, bringing tens of thousands of athletes and fans to the Scenic City and millions of dollars into the local economy.
"Last year was a tremendous success, but we still learned from year one some things that we can improve on," said Tim Morgan, chief sports officer for Chattanooga Sports, which promotes athletics tourism. "The one thing the entire planning committee has focused on is maximizing the guest experience so people feel like they're truly in a championship environment.
"We are positioned to, hopefully, have a smoother execution of the process than the first year."
New to this year's event will be an expanded Dr Pepper Fansville, which will include a DJ, food vendors, kiosks with giveaways, interactive games and inflatables for children, as well as a larger tailgating area.
Advanced tickets can be purchased online through gofan.com and are $12 each and good for all three games in a day. Tickets at the gate are $15 each. All spectators school-age and older must have a ticket, and gates will open one hour before the first game.
Parking will be $10 per day, cash only, and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking attendants will be stationed at each entrance of the North Lot (between Main Street and Finley Stadium).
"You can redeem your digital ticket at any of the Dr Pepper ticket tents for a wristband that's required for entry into Finley Stadium," Morgan said. "Fans can then enter the stadium through the South gate, North gate or the Pavilion gate."
Finley Stadium's security protocols for all events will be in place, including metal detectors at all entry gates and a clear bag policy, which states only one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a 1-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bag per person will be permitted. Fans will also be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4 1/2 inches by 6 1/2 inches. No other bags will be allowed inside Finley Stadium.
All items, including clear bags and clutch purses, are subject to search at the gates. Smoking and vaping are prohibited at the stadium.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Lipscomb's Luther Richesson (5) and Alexander Broome (20) carry the championship trophy off the field. The Lipscomb Academy Mustangs defeated the Christ Presbyterian Academy Lions 27-0 to win the TSSAA Division II Class AA state football championship in the 2021 BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium."Everyone should feel extremely safe with the security measures we have taken," Morgan said. "We have two main Chattanooga Police Department officers coordinating safety and security protocols both inside and outside of Finley Stadium. The CPD officers will also ensure we are getting the traffic flow into and out of the stadium in a safe manner and as quickly as we possibly can."
According to Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association figures, last year's BlueCross Bowl three-day total attendance of 27,052 exceeded the previous five seasons highest mark by more than 6,000 fans. The games brought an economic impact of around $3 million to area businesses officials estimate.
Last year's attendance figures were helped by unseasonably warm weather (temperatures reached nearly 70 degrees on the first two days) as well as having two local teams -- McCallie School and South Pittsburg -- play for and win state championships.
This year's forecast is not as favorable, with temperatures reaching a high of the lower-to-mid 50s Thursday and Friday and 60 for Saturday, with a chance of rain.
However there are once again two local teams in this year's event as Baylor School will play Montgomery Bell Academy at 7 p.m. Thursday for the Division II-AAA title, and Tyner will face Decatur-Riverside at 3 p.m. Saturday for the Class 2A championship.
As part of Chattanooga's bid that won the contractual rights to host the championship games for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the TSSAA is guaranteed $250,000. All profits above that total go to reimburse Chattanooga Sports to cover the event's expenses.
There is also the potential for the city to be awarded a two-year contract extension, a decision that will be made by the TSSAA shortly after this year's event ends. During a recent TSSAA Board of Control meeting, it was decided TSSAA officials would meet with Chattanooga Sports representatives to ensure the two sides agree on the parameters for an extension.
Provided there are no issues, the board would likely vote on the extension at its next meeting, Jan. 12.
"We have no reservation whatsoever for remaining in Chattanooga," TSSAA Executive Director Mark Reeves told the board during its discussion last week.
What to know for the BlueCross Bowl
Ticket and parking information: Advance tickets can be purchased online at gofan.com for $12 each and are good for all three games in a day. Tickets at the gate are $15 each. All spectators school-age and older must have a ticket. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game. Parking will be $10 per day, cash only. Parking attendants will be stationed at each entrance of the North Lot (between Main Street and Finley Stadium). Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Clear bag policy: Finley Stadium has a clear bag policy for spectators. Only one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a 1-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bag per person will be permitted. Fans will also be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. No other bags will be allowed inside Finley Stadium. All items, including clear bags and clutch purses, are subject to search at the gates. Smoking and vaping are prohibited at the stadium.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.
