GHSA needs to move basketball finals to Atlanta

There are multiple reasons why the Macon Coliseum has staged the state finals since 2013 and off and on before that. It’s an event that the city cares a lot about, for one thing. But its central location in the state would seem the prime rationale.

But here’s where that logic falls short. While it is in the middle of the state, having it there increases the inconvenience and cost for most of the teams playing. This week, 18 of the 36 are metro Atlanta schools and at least another four have or will drive through Atlanta to get to Macon.

And, in recent years, that is actually on the lower end. Of the 160 state finalists in the five most recent state championships, including this year’s, an even 100 have represented schools in the 11-county metropolitan area as defined by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Further, another 11 schools most likely would have or will come through or around Atlanta to get to Macon. Those 111 schools represent almost 70% of the finalists.

Over the past five years, there have been 22 teams (by my count) for which the Macon location is advantageous for travel, almost 14%. (The remainder, such as schools in the Augusta and Columbus areas, are grayer cases.)

So that’s almost 70% giving up a clear benefit for the sake of 14%.

Aside from the matter of convenience, consider what that means for attendance. With most of the participating schools in the metro area, how many more family members, classmates, neighbors, faculty, alumni and community members would be able to attend a state final in Atlanta as opposed to Macon?

There’s a financial aspect to this, but there’s just personal meaning, too. This is a crowning moment in a young athlete’s life. There are other factors, but making attending these events as easy as it can for as many people as it can should be a priority for the GHSA.

“There’s been a lot of kids whose families just can’t afford to miss work,” Creekside girls coach Akennia Ellis, whose team was to play Jackson Thursday for the Class 4A final, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If it’s in the city (of Atlanta), they could come after work if the game is late enough. Or, if they’re going to Macon and miss work, they’re spending a lot of money traveling.”

Over the past five years, the 17-game event (including a wheelchair basketball game staged by American Association of AdaptED Sports Programs with the GHSA) has averaged 20,203 tickets sold. You’d think that just the six 4A, 5A and 6A boys and girls games — which almost exclusively have been between metro Atlanta schools — could easily surpass that by themselves at the 7,300-seat Georgia State Convocation Center.

There’s also the reality that Georgia State’s arena, opened in 2022, is simply a much better facility than the dated and worn Macon Coliseum. Near I-20 and I-75/85 and with ample parking (it’s next to GSU’s Center Parc Stadium, formerly Turner Field), it’s an arena fitting for such a premier event.

“It would be great for the fans and great for the teams and great for atmosphere,” Norcross boys coach Jesse McMillan told the AJC. “I think everybody agrees that Georgia State is an awesome place to have those semifinal games and potentially a championship.”

There are other reasons why the game remains in Macon despite widespread interest (particularly in Atlanta) to move it here. The GHSA has had a strong relationship with Macon and arena officials, who very much want to keep it as a revenue driver for the area and have made the contract with the GHSA appealing. They’ve made updates to the arena at the GHSA’s request, and the city and Bibb County are seeking support for a SPLOST that would provide funding for a new coliseum.

“Financially, it’s a really good thing for the association because, as you do well (with revenues), you’re looking to make the teams’ payouts better,” former GHSA executive director Robin Hines told the AJC. “So that’s really good.”

Also from Hines, now a legislative liaison and consultant to the GHSA: “And the fact of the matter is, we’re the Georgia High School Association, not the Metro Association. We try to spread those events across the state where we can when the venues are appropriate.”

A rebuttal: While it’s nice to partner with the city of Macon and help sell hotel rooms and restaurant meals, wouldn’t it be more fitting for a student-focused nonprofit to partner with athletes' families and, to the extent it can, help keep those hotel and restaurant costs in their pockets?

Also, while schools’ payouts might be larger in Macon because of the favorable contract, for the many Atlanta (and North Georgia) schools that travel to Macon, those revenues from the proceeds of the tournament are undercut by the expenses of getting and staying in Macon.

For instance, Creekside’s girls team left school Wednesday to be ready for its Thursday championship game against Jackson, taking a charter bus and then staying in a hotel. Ellis, the Seminoles coach, said that the charter to its quarterfinals game at Ware County cost $4,000 alone.

In fairness, South and Middle Georgia schools would bear a greater cost. But it’s the cost that metro Atlanta and North Georgia teams have been paying with each trip to Macon in much larger numbers.

Further, regarding the dispersal of state championship events across the state — the GHSA might note that there are more state championship events held within Macon’s city limits (four — cheerleading, traditional wrestling, basketball and soccer) this academic year than Atlanta’s (two — football and swimming, although more have been held in the metro area). Maybe the GHSA should let Atlanta take something off Macon’s plate.

At the very least, it would be well worth the GHSA’s time to seriously investigate Georgia State as an option. (If you’re wondering, State Farm Arena likely would not be a possibility because the arena rental fees would be higher, and the Hawks probably would not be keen to give up at least four days of potential home dates in March, given that they try to back-load the home schedule to avoid competing with football in the fall and winter.)

In addition to the revenue of renting out its arena, Georgia State could benefit from the exposure of having hundreds of high school students (and their parents, classmates and siblings) on its campus. It works out schedule-wise because the state championship is held the week of the men’s and women’s Sun Belt Conference tournaments, leaving the arena available.

Georgia State AD Charlie Cobb told the AJC in a text message this week that the school is “more than happy to help out if GHSA wants/needs to change.”

Whether it wants to is uncertain. Whether it needs to is not.