Why do they always have to be in Westmoreland County, so far from the participating schools? Would it be that impossible to name the venue the week before? Peters vs P-R at Lebo or NA. CC vs NA at Lebo, North Hills, or PR. Seems unnecessary to make these fanbases drive an hour to play in a HS stadium, with 8 lane running track so you can barely see the game anyway.
Question on 5A/6A Finals?
- Thread starter Sean Miller Fan
- Start date
agree, it's kind of a "dime a dozen" high school stadium too, weird that they use it to host championship games..
many better options in allegheny county..
many better options in allegheny county..
Someone is going to come on here to say due to its parking and seating capacity. To which, I say you mean there arent any Allegheny County stadiums where you can park your car and get a seat? The WPIAL is so effed up. I also probably would change the dates to have played 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A this week at Acrisure. Meaning only 8 teams from 3A and 4A make the playoffs. No 9 seed or lower was ever going to make the final. Maybe make a "B division" for those teams if you must.
It's no different than PR driving to Mt Lebo or Peters driving to NA.
Not sure why it's a big deal to you.
Not sure why it's a big deal to you.
If game was at Lebo:
PR drive time 43 min
PT drive time 23 minutes
If game was at NA
PR drive time 16 minutes
PT drive time 48 minutes
If games was at Moon
PR drive time 36 min
PT drive time 35 min
Games at Norwin
PR drive time 60 minutes
PT drive time 56 minutes
The point is that there is no point, no advance of having these games being pre-planned in Westmoreland County. The WPIAL names sites 5-6 days before a game. There is nothing extra needed for a 5A or 6A Championship game than for a semifinal. So dont be stupid and name the venue a week before.
No question you have too much time on your hands!
Meh, keep the high school kids off of accrisure grass, making it look even worse than it is.
One of a few good decisions made by the wpial.
I think the high mark stadium is a good option and plenty big enough.
Last edited:
One good thing about Norwin is you can guarantee they won't ever get a home field advantage.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
It's almost like the bigger games require some degree of planning and offer logistical challenges.
but they really dont..
why would a 3rd rd playoff game bring more logistical challenges than an opening high school playoff game?
It's 49 minutes from Pine Richland HS to Norwin HS. Both schools have about the same travel. Perfectly fair, unlike a game at Lebo or NA.
Still not sure why you think it's such a big deal.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Bigger crowds. More media. They also host more district folks at those games.
it really would be fantastic. not sure what the attendance is though. I saw 5k on their website but not sure if that's expanded.
if it was big enough, it would be an absolute no brainer location and fun for the fans to have some actual pre and post game options.
Not according to Google Maps, it isnt. Making Peters and PR both go 1 hour with CC and NA going similar distances is just stupid when there are plenty of closer stadiums.
Come on man. Really? How much more logistical planning is required for a Peters vs Moon game at South Fayette vs a Peters vs PR game at Norwin? These are lightly attended high school football games, not even televised. Do you think ESPN is going to be there?
south fayette has bleachers on one side, for a nice campus, their stadium sucks. any high school football stadium that doesnt have "away" bleachers shouldnt be allowed to host a playoff game..
I think I agree with this. First, while practical, stadiums with tracks suck. There are a lot of good options elsewhere without tracks. After attending a game there last year, they make the location way more complicated than it needs to be for a high school game. The big thing is you want people going to the games, so making it more drivable makes sense.
I wouldn't go as far as calling it a dime a dozen stadium. The track sucks, but the seating capacity is great and the press box appears to be good for any game coverage as is spots for TV cameras. The other aspects of the stadium such as the concessions and restrooms need some work. Where do you like in Allegheny County? I've been to 50+ stadiums over the years and am a bit of a fan of checking out different locations.
On campus stadium parking is actually an issue because they're landlocked and parking is limited. The NA-Central Catholic game had cars triple parked in the lots, it was ridiculous. Norwin didn't have enough parking and you had to find spots in a narrow patch of grass last year. Meanwhile, there were 15 or so spots reserved that were never used.
It has all the broadcast equipment in one spot. Reporters only have to go to one spot and maybe most importantly, WPIAL officials only need to be at one location.
I agree. One-sided stadium and a track. It's the absolute worst setup for a high school stadium. I barely count a place like Pine-Richland that has some middle school-sized bleachers on the away side. I question NA hosting playoff games when the visitor bleachers have the light posts in front of the seats.
i live in south park, we built a new stadium a few years back but i'll admit, it kind of sucks. no visitor section and an awful set up..
parking is ok but then you walk down the steepest flight of stairs to get to the bleachers, just a one sided stadium built on the side of a hill.. i swear i feel bad for anyone elderly walking to the bleachers, they fall down these stairs, they are done. think about the movie Apacolypto, when the mayans were sacrificed and thrown down the steps of the pyramid, that's what i envision if someone falls down these steps.
im from bethel, i like our stadium but im bias. god forbid we ask SMF to drive to bethel though, he'll have a heart attack without an HOV lane getting him there in time.. Baldwin's stadium was nice, in 1993, havent been there in awhile. I know USC did their stadium up as well as Lebo, both pretty convenient to get too..
Peters needs to step it up soon and get with the times. district has more money than God and their stadium sucks, im sure they'll build something nice though now that they have a zillion acres of land to use where the old golf course was and their new high school lays..
Bethel Park definitely has a nice stadium and it's probably in my top 10. Mt. Lebanon is another good one, I just don't think it sets up well for TV coverage, at least based on a game I attended where the TV cameras had to be set up right in the middle of the bleachers.
Upper St. Clair has a great stadium, probably my second favorite with a track behind Canon Mac.
Peters is terrible, especially given the resources. It really wouldn't take much to upgrade what they already have.
Upper St. Clair has a great stadium, probably my second favorite with a track behind Canon Mac.
Peters is terrible, especially given the resources. It really wouldn't take much to upgrade what they already have.
Haven't been to SP's stadium. You are right that that SF's is really nice but just the 1 side so that eliminates the bigger games. SF's is maybe the only one that "feels" like a stadium due to their cool entrance.
USC's and Lebo's have always been nice. Peters's would be a decent 3A stadium but for 5A its embarrassing. Bethel's is nice but you can get to Altoona quicker from the North Hills than Bethel Park. I have said before someone needs to file eminent domain and build a highway through that town. Great sports facilities though.
It's funny because it's true!
The Trib had a story a few weeks ago that included a list of the schools to win a section championship the most and the fewest number of times. Of the schools that have been in the WPIAL since at least 2000 there are only three that have never won a section championship. And Norwin was one of the three.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
You complain about a lot of things you don't understand. What makes your track record for being wrong any less dubious in this situation?
Ok. Explain to me what logistical challenges could not be accomplished on a week's notice for a non-televised high school playoff game.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Nope. You'll just tell me I'm wrong without any knowledge of the situation.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Better than just spouting nonsense without any knowledge of how things work.
You already spouted nonsense but dont realize it. The WPIAL plays hundreds of playoff games in all sports on a few days notice (in some cases). It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that there wouldn't be any extra logistical challenge if the CC-NA game was played as a semifinal at Pine-Richland or North Hills instead of a final. There arent enough extra media that makes scheduling that game on a week's notice extra tough.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
I just sat at a district final a week ago. If one TV station shows up for a regular game, it's a big deal. Two TV stations, five newspapers, and two different radio crews for a tiny little single A district championship. That doesn't count the host of extra photographers and video people. Special announcers for the NFHS feed. All the extra district folks that have to be on hand. You should go to a game once in a while.
5 newspapers? i can name 3 in western pa off the top of my head and im not even 100% sure 1 of them is still in circulation.
what 5 newspapers are going to high school football games?
NFHS already does the semifinals. So, again, what would happen if CC vs NA was a semifinal at North Hills or somewhere in the same county and they just had 7 days notice? Would the extra 11:00 news sideline cameraman and a few extra reporters make it totally impossible? What is Norwin doing in their year planning for this game that an Allegheny County school couldnt do in 7 days?
The PG, Trib, and the town's local papers go to the semis anyway. Maybe there's an extra newspaper that goes to the final so they need 1 year to prepare for that 1 extra writer and 1 extra photographer.
is it really that hard to accomodate Mike WHite and Eleanor Bailey standing on a sideline with a cell phone in their hand?
Doesnt seem like a lot of planning needed for this "mass media influx" if you ask me.. i am not sure if you've been to any of these wpial games lately but attendance is pretty abysmal. plenty of room in the stadium and along the sidelines for whatever mickey-mouse local news media attends and covers these games..
No. Its just people not wanting to admit I was right. The WPIAL could announce these venues the morning of the game and there would be little extra planning that it would require. And you are correct about attendance. Neither the 5A or 6A final will come close to selling out Norwin International Stadium but the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners will be very happy with the business these Allegheny County "elites" bring in. I am sure they lobbied hard to host the 5A/6A finals and probably ran on that platform. "Joe Smith voted no to hosting the WPIAL Championships. He doesn't see the economic impact of hosting rich Allegheny County schools every year. We need better leadership in Greensburg."
the only economic impact hosting these events will bring is a couple hundred dollars in concession stands to norwin. They'll sell more scolding hot chocolate that is soo hot you cant drink and stale cold pretzels..
You do realize that there are requirements (capacity, lighting, etc) laid out by the WPIAL that have to be met in order to host these games right? And interested districts submit a bid to be considered? The WPIAL has to pay to rent the venue, they don't just show up one Friday and play. So yeah, you have no clue how any of this works.
Similar threads
