Put on your game face, Tacoma. Don’t let Washington high school sports championships leave
For decades Tacoma has been Washington’s mecca for amateur sports, a status that should evoke hometown pride. Let Seattle keep the professional leagues. Here in T-Town, we put out the welcome mat for the state’s top young athletes.
But the days of hosting high school championships may soon be over.
Last weekend, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) held the football state championship games in Pierce County, as it has every year since 1995. But this was the first year the tournament wasn’t held at the Tacoma Dome; instead, the six games took place at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Sparks Stadium in Puyallup and Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood.
Why the venue change? Money, mostly. The WIAA saved an estimated $60,000 to $70,000 by ending the contract with the city-owned Dome.
Holding the games on three local high school fields meant for the first time in decades, the athletes played for a title in a full stadium. School officials and fans also appreciated paying less for tickets, concessions and parking.
But things are still in flux in ways that don’t bode well for Tacoma. Executive Director Mick Hoffman told the Editorial Board this week the WIAA is holding preliminary conversations to make CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, their next destination.
Other cities are also courting the WIAA, offering package deals on hotels and other amenities.
We say it’s time Tacoma put on its best game face and start wooing as well. Playing host to the best of the best in high school football is a tradition that shouldn’t end.
Finances are the reason that prep sports championships came to the T-Dome — back in 1995, the city offered the WIAA free rent for the first five years — and finances may be the reason they leave.
It’s hard to criticize an organization for saving money. Football has always been the WIAA’s biggest revenue generator, covering about 55 percent of the operating budget. This helps fund other activities including dance, drill team, debate, drama and music.
But that revenue source has been waning due to declining participation and spectator interest. In Washington, youth football participation has dropped 38 percent over the last decade, and ticket sales for championship games have taken a nosedive. In 2006, the games drew more than 23,000 fans to Tacoma and grossed over $270,000. In 2018, 13,000 tickets were sold and revenue came in at a little over $185,000.
It’s ironic that right after the city finished a $30 million renovation on the Tacoma Dome, it lost one of its loyal customers. But Hoffman said the decision wasn’t based solely on money; he said he received several complaints about obstructed views during last year’s championships in the remodeled arena. “Fans sitting above the first 15 rows couldn’t see the entire field, and cheerleaders were unable to face the crowds.”
We take some comfort knowing the Mat Classic, the largest amateur wrestling tournament in the country, and the state prep basketball tournament are still scheduled at the Tacoma Dome. But both contracts end this year.
What happens next is a question Hoffman couldn’t answer for us. “We think of the kids first and make our decisions from there.”
We’re also thinking of the kids. Certainly the Tacoma area economy has benefited from hosting these big games, but that’s not the only reason they should remain here.
Welcoming high school athletes who compete not for money or fame, but for the love of the game, is an invigorating privilege and a Tacoma tradition worth fighting for.