J.C. Carnahan of the Orlando Sentinel reports the FHSAA received two bids to host the FHSAA Football State Championship Games for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons after announcing they would open the event for bidding for a new venue.
The state championship game will stay in the Central Florida region staying in Orlando or moving to Daytona Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, according to the report.
Per @JCCarnz, Orlando & Daytona Beach are the only two cities to submit bids for the FHSAA State Football Championships. #flhsfb
— Florida HS Football (@FlaHSFootball) March 15, 2016
The FHSAA requested bids from stadiums with at least 10,000 seats with equal seating on each side and at least 50 seats for media. The state championship has been in Orlando since 2005. The FHSAA is also considering turning it into a one-weekend event rather than holding it across two weekends in December.
A final decision on the location for the next three state championship games will be made in May.
The Orlando Citrus Bowl checks off all the boxes. But the stadium is far too large for the crowds the games attract. For the two weekends of games this year, the Orlando Citrus Bowl drew less than 30,000 fans.
It was not a very good visual for television.
The Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium is a much smaller venue, with a maximum capacity of 9,601. It has hosted the state championship before but not in a long time.
But it could provide a much more intimate and size-appropriate setting for the state championship game. Even if it does not have the amenities of the Citrus Bowl.
It is somewhat surprising only two cities submitted formal bids. Orlando though certainly is more comfortably in the running now that it is down to two and has the nicer venue.
Whichever city put together the best bid is going to win though and Orlando certainly has an advantage with venue and location in many, many ways.
