From Dunlap to Dalton, Bradley County to Brainerd, and every map-dot town across the Chattanooga area, the beginning of another school year also means the return of high school sports.
And there’s no other section of either Tennessee or Georgia that supports the kids who represent their community quite like those included among the 50-plus schools that make up the Times Free Press coverage area.
Our hard-working staff has long been known for blanketing the area with in-depth coverage of prep sports — it’s been the bread and butter of our readership for decades — and this fall we are kicking off a brand new initiative that will serve as both a way for new readers to begin enjoying our content, and also to greatly benefit one athletic program that proves to have the most school spirit.
As a means to support news literacy in schools, we are immediately offering a special $10 per month subscription package to new subscribers who identify the school they support.
Any new subscriber who registers online will be prompted to include the high school they support in the box marked “location.” Be sure to use the school’s official name, not an abbreviation.
The TFP will publish a weekly tally so readers can follow along during the season to find out which school is leading, and the school that generates the highest percentage of subscriptions relative to its enrollment between now and December will receive a $50,000 donation that will go toward the athletic department’s budget.
This setup ensures the smaller schools and communities can compete with those who have larger enrollments.
Those interested in being part of the initiative should go to timesfreepress.com/showdown to register.
By subscribing, readers will gain unlimited year-round digital access to the daily local content produced by the TFP for football as well as other sports this fall and winter, carrying into next spring and leading up to our annual Best of Preps awards event next summer.
This includes game coverage as well as feature stories and opinion pieces, plus predictions, area team rankings and statistics. Price should no longer be an obstacle preventing readers from enjoying our award-winning prep coverage.
“One of the primary missions of a local newspaper is to cover and support high school sports,” new Times Free Press owner Craig Fuller posted on his personal X account on Thursday. “This mission will be very core to the Times Free Press going forward.
“Also, this is not a bait and switch promotion. It’s a year-round (subscription) for $10 per month. The only requirement is that you have to support local sports and root for a school.”
One of the truly unique and endearing aspects of the Chattanooga area is that it feels like the biggest small town you can find. Whether it’s through coworkers, church members, extended family or friends, people who live in one geographical part of our region keep a keen eye on star athletes and interesting storylines happening in neighboring towns.
Experience has also made our staff fully aware of the competitiveness between so many of the communities in and around the Scenic City. So whether it’s Bradley Central versus Cleveland, Baylor versus McCallie, or Gordon Lee versus Trion, rivalries run deep here.
In fact, the area’s most antagonistic traditional rivalry, Marion County versus South Pittsburg, no longer exists because the dislike between the two sides runs too hot to continue playing.
And that’s why our new subscription initiative has been tabbed “Tennessee Valley Showdown.”
Whether you’re part of Meigs County’s “Blanket Brigade” that arrives hours early to claim a prime spot in the bleachers or you fly Rhea County’s green-and-gold Eagles wings, every alumnus, coach, community member, parent, teacher or even a student-athlete now has the chance to outshine their rivals for bragging rights as well as helping the school they support boost its athletic funds by $50,000.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com.