Negotiations To Host H.S. Championships At Pro And College Sites This Fall On Hold As NJSIAA Awaits Word On How Much It Can Charge
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ–In an article in today’s Star-Ledger, it was reported that negotiations to hold state and sectional high school championships at professional and collegiate sites around the Garden State this fall have been put on hold as the NJSIAA is waiting to see how much it will be able to charge. The article states that the state’s governing body for interscholastic athletics is going to submit a request to State Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler, this coming Wednesday. The request seeks to charge the same prices for admission to these games as it did last year.
Prices would be $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens at football championship games, and $7 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens at championship games for girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, and field hockey. Football championships are scheduled to be held at the new Giants and Jets Stadium (6 games), Rutgers Stadium (6 games), Kean University (2 games), and The College of New Jersey (2 games). In addition, sites for the soccer and field hockey championships are set to take place at TCNJ while volleyball championships are scheduled to take place at William Paterson. This is the latest episode in an ongoing struggle between the NJSIAA and State Assemblyman John Burzichelli of Gloucester.
Earlier this year, the NJSIAA suggested the possibility that the Tournament of Champions and Meet of Champions along with another state championship games may be eliminated. However, the state body was able to pass a $5.3 million dollar budget that included keeping the state playoffs intact. However, Burzichelli remains unconvinced that the NJSIAA has done enough, and that has created a stalemate that only leaves high school sports, its athletes, coaches, and fans left out.