Merrillville Semi State should be moved to

[Muckman_1999]

Comets,  you are missing the point.  there might be variances between sports but if you read through there is a line item for the center school.  This is the host school.  School facility for bball is $250.  This is what I posted in my original post.  I guess for wrestling the host site gets $200.  According to your post the participating teams for bball split up the balance if under 2800.    If more goes to IHSAA.  The point still is that the host school does NOT make tons of money from the gross receipts.  If they make money it comes from concessions.  I guess the question to you, other than what they make from concessions, do you believe that host schools are making big monetary gains from hosting these events? 

[yogihof]

Concessions is a big deal IF your athletic department runs them. At some schools they don't. At a large arena (i.e. FW Coliseum, Conseco/Bamkers Life Arena, ect.) the vendor the arena contracts runs them and keeps profits.
As for Merrillville, Janis IHSAA Board connections must be protecting this travesty of a site.

[WingMan]

Just two very simple questions.  What is Mville's capacity in their gym and what is attendence?  If those numbers don't match, then it's out of any AD/politician's hands as if the number of attendees exceed the seating limitations (in the gym) as that would make it a safety issue.  Has anyone looked into those stats?  Mathmatically, those numbers should be total tickets sold, wrestlers and coaches accounted for compared to the seating capacity in the gym.  Does anyone know this info? 

In regards to the Mackey idea...quite frankly I love that idea, there is plenty of seating, hotels in the area (at all price ranges much like MVille) and I know that college coaches respect the rules of recruiting so I would take that notion off of the table.  Someone mentioned in a previous thread of pulling together a committee to investigate and review what it would take to run such a tournament at a different venue.  Sign me up as I will support ANY prospecting of another venue.

And yes, I heard the same rumor (for 4 years now) about the MVille's AD's link with the IHSAA and how she gets to keep the event because of those links...no proof...just rumor so let's use some facts to change this moving forward.

OK, last question.  Has a fire-marshal attended this event to investigate the number of people?  I take three kids with me plus a wrestler, grandparents...God forbid something happens as my group is so dispersed due to seating that I would not be able to round my family up to evacuate them all together if there was an emergency.

[MCKAJC]

God forbid something happens as my group is so dispersed due to seating that I would not be able to round my family up to evacuate them all together if there was an emergency.

THANK YOU!! Anyone that's been to Mville semi-state knows if there were an evacuation necessary, it would be horrible. Think about the exits, long narrow hallways that would create a stampede situation. There are definitely life safety issues that are being ignored.

[julio]

Fire Marshall has been there before, and nothing happen.  This was brought up a couple of years ago.

[GrecoCoach]

Has anyone ever sat there and actually counted the gate/tickets sold?  Take that and add in all the wrestlers, coaches, and officials.  If that number is more than the "capacity" of the facility, then that fact needs to be brought to the attention of the IHSAA.  If they turn any spectators away to keep it at capacity, then that needs to be brought to the IHSAA's attention, too, because that is money lost.

The IHSAA says they want what is best for the people, but they don't actually make decisions based on heart-wrenching stories or how people feel.  They do have a history of basing their decisions on laws, safety, and money.

[lpd096]

A few years ago, Blake Ress sat right next to me and said, "I don't see a problem with this set-up". CLUELESS. Totally CLUELESS.

I was shocked, I couldn't believe it!