Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials said the highly anticipated Butler-Independence high school football game will be played at 4,200-seat Independence High. Kickoff will be 7 p.m. Nov. 6.
With 24,000-seat Memorial Stadium undergoing repairs, CMS officials discussed alternate sites for the game between nationally ranked rivals, even asking the N.C. High School Athletic Association for special permission to play it on Saturday Nov. 7, when other site options may have been available.
The NCHSAA turned down that request.
Tickets for the game will be sold to students and staff at Independence and Butler High Schools beginning Nov. 2. CMS does not usually pre-sell tickets. Students may purchase six tickets at a time and must pay in cash. Tickets will cost $6, one dollar more than usual. The extra dollar will cover the cost of printing special tickets to ensure they cannot be duplicated.
No tickets will be sold at the site on game day. No one will be allowed in without a ticket, CMS athletics director Vicki Hamilton said.
CMS will bring in a limited number of bleachers for the marching bands, opening up additional spectator seating.
Time Warner Cable will cover the game and plans to replay it after it ends. WFNZ radio (610-AM) will carry it live.
Bank of America Stadium (I notice some people are raising this issue; I specifically asked Gorman about this):
CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman said CMS officials considered Bank of America Stadium as a possible site but learned it wouldn't be feasible.
"That was one of the possibilities, but it simply wouldn't work out -- not right in the middle of the Panthers' season," Gorman said. "The Richardson family has been very, very supportive of our school system, but this wouldn't work out."
The Panthers are on the road that weekend, playing at New Orleans. But Gorman said moving a high school game there could damage the turf and would provide a number of last-minute logistical problems.
Bank of America Stadium (I notice some people are raising this issue; I specifically asked Gorman about this):
CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman said CMS officials considered Bank of America Stadium as a possible site but learned it wouldn't be feasible.
"That was one of the possibilities, but it simply wouldn't work out -- not right in the middle of the Panthers' season," Gorman said. "The Richardson family has been very, very supportive of our school system, but this wouldn't work out."
The Panthers are on the road that weekend, playing at New Orleans. But Gorman said moving a high school game there could damage the turf and would provide a number of last-minute logistical problems.
Read more on this developing story in Thursday's printed editions of the Observer.
-- Langston Wertz Jr., with contributions from Steve Lyttle
-- Langston Wertz Jr., with contributions from Steve Lyttle
Posts
45 comments:
The school system has to do better. You have two teams ranked in the US top 50 high school programs and putting them in a 4000 seat venue? Just asking for trouble.
This game could easily generate 15k people. At $6 bucks a ticket, it's $24,000 vs $90,000 plus in money.
Use that to buy a book, pencils, etc...zero foresight, just last minute scrambling.
So the only way for an alumni to get a ticket is asking a student to purchase one for him?
This is crazy !! This needs to be played on a Saturday at B of A .I 'm sure Jerry would let us use his place.
Did you ever think that perhaps Indy is actually worried about how good Butler is this year and wants every "home field advantage" they can have?
This is the BIGGEST game of the year for both teams. Especially since the dynamics of the rivalry changes next year with the student assignment shift in Mint Hill. There has to be some way to play this game at a neutral site with more seating like B of A, even on Friday night, Nov. 6. PLEEEEEASE, somebody do right by these two teams and their fans!
Man oh man what an experience it would be for both teams if it was played in B of A stadium. I remember playing hockey at Independence arena (Old Checkers venue) and the thrill that came along with it. Sure would be nice of Mr. Richardson to let the two local community high-schools use it for this game. Heck he lets his high-school team play there every Sunday!!
Charlotte needs a local university with an available football stadium.
www.charlotte49erfootball.com
They cant play at Bank Of America Stadium. Their high school team has a game on Sunday.
HS Teams out in Texas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma...normally ranked HS football teams, have 10,000+ stadiums ready to go for such games as these...
AND HOW DID CMS NOT FORSEE THIS COMING....
Whats wrong with JCSU?
I fail to understand how CMS can't come up with a solution on this. Heck, from just the additional revenue stream from the extra dollar on the ticket it just seems smart business sense. Imagine how many school supplies the revenue would generate. I'm having a hard time understanding like the other poster stated. "Zero Foresight"...
CMS has known since early this year that this was coming and again they just put it off...just like everything that concerns our kids...As long as the higher ups get their $$$ that's all that matters...as for Mr. Richardson - It's been said he doesn't want to be accused of showing favoritizm to any 'CMS High School' they are also concerned that the field could be damaged...COME ON...Bank of America & Mr. Richardson & Panther Players...SPEAK UP FOR CMS KIDS and the Charlotte HS football fans...show a heart someone????
Who is running the NCHSAA and the CMS? You probably have the best HS game in the country that night and you are going to deprive 11K+ miss witnessing it? And couldn't the school system use the potential
60K, maybe more, dollars in these economic times? The kids and coaches who have worked and competed to get there deserve better than this.
CMS does it again to Mint Hill. They could have least given out K-Y ahead of this blunder.
Can we petition the NCHSAA to rethink this venue?
JCSU Stadium (Irwin Belk Complex) only seats 4500. Otherwise that would be nice.....
Tommy Knoxs doesn't want the game moved because the Butler fans
will have limited access to tickets!
If I were a student I'd buy 6 tickets and scalp them at the gate for $100 a piece.
Response To: Did you ever think that perhaps Indy is actually worried about how good Butler is this year and wants every "home field advantage" they can have?
How absurd can you be? You must be a Butler Fan.
Independence didn't pick the venue.
To response: CMS does it again to Mint Hill. They could have least given out K-Y ahead of this blunder.
Wait Mint Hill doesn't consider Indy to be it's neighborhood school. So I guess you're referring to Butler.
First of all, Indy has one of the worse football stadiums i have ever seen.. I went there for a playoff game and i was shocked at how small it is...A team at that level should have a better stadium
It's sad that a city the size of Charlotte only has one stadium (now under construction) to support a big HS football game.
A stadium at UNCC would help. Maybe CMS and UNCC could go in together to help get a decent stadium built?
The stadiums I've seen at the schools in Charlotte are pitiful for the size of the enrollments here.
What would Butler's stadium hold with additional "safe" bleachers? Why not swap this year and play at Butler??
Panthers are on the road vs New Orleans so the venue is open all weekend.
I am sure players from both teams were looking forward to playing in front on thousands of fans. It is very sad that the NC High School Association and CMS cannot bring a solution to the table that will allow these players the experience the richly deserve to finish off a great season. Go Bulldogs, you can do it!
HA HA....gorman is a liar!!Tommy K notthead is the reason this game is not being moved.If they played at B of A stadium fri night,the panthers maintenance crew would have 8 full days to get the field ready for the next panther game.That is more time than when the panthers have back to back home games.Come on peter....if you are going to lie,at least feed us a better one lol.CMS and gorman knew memorial stadium could not be used way before the season started,so they have had plenty of time for a change of venue.Thanks Tommy KNOTTHEAD!!
CMS students are not "supposed" to have more than 20.0 on them at school.
28,000.00 just to fire up the lights at BOA stadium. Knotts has nothing to do with it moron!
I love how everyone thinks this is Tommy Knotts doing. Do you not think that he would want 7k-15k people to be there when he once again beats Buttville. If anybody has any pull it's Newsome who's father in law is Joel Ritchie(Area Superintendent). I know for a fact that the Indy AD and CMS has been looking for another place to play but none are available. Would there be so much outrage if it was Butler's home game and not Indy's?
People, please get a life! If you get that worked up over high school football, you have issues. Although, I think that Richardson should give the system the stadium for the night.
What is Knotts (when he is on the field) against Butler? 12-0 or something like that. In fact, last I remember was last November Knotts walked off a 49-7 winner. Knotts is a better coach than Newsome no matter where it is played.
Just wondering if Butler still feel upset if it was scheduled at Butler and remained there? If not, then you are hypocrites.
Why not Wingate University?
this game is for pride. both teams will be 1 or 2 in the state playoff brackets no matter what so it wont matter who wins this game because they will meet in the playoffs again guaranteed. That's when the game will really matter. Is there any word if memorial will be available for the playoff game?
Indy. Just bail your guys out of jail and come play.
No one questions who is the better HS coach in Charlotte. A better reason to NOT play at BofA Stadium is the cost to operate and open it for one game ($55K I have heard). This seems more of an obstacle than the field damage excuse with 8days or why won't NCHSAA allow them to play on Saturday? What if it rains on THAT Friday, will they not have to move it to Saturday or Monday?? Be truthful with the public about the reasons, and people will stop speculating
^^^^^Bail your guys out of jail? Real mature to bad them "convicts" have actually seen what a state championship game is like, and not the last game in the playoffs. BOA is out of the question nobody high enough cares about N C high school football, it's just not important enough to higher officials. Providence stadium seats 6000 bigger than butlers and it's right up the road from both schools. Oh and selling tickets to only students is a JOKE "HALF" the kids will be on there cell phones or gossiping anyways.
I can care less where they play!!!!!
The Panthers have a great opportunity to repay the taxpayers who paid for the BOA stadium and continue to pay for its upkeep. NFL owners are mostly greedy scumbags who want the taxpayers to build them nice facilities, hey Richardson the taxpayers pay the bills for the panthers use of the stadium hows about showing some love.
If there was any money in stadiums the owners would build it with their money....
Jerry Richardson could easily write the cost off on his taxes somewhere. Even if he didn't allow access to suites and club level, that would leave 22,714 blue seats in the lower bowl available.
Even if Mr. R. didn't donate use, and it costs $55K for costs, $55K divided by $6 a ticket would be 9,167 attendance needed to break even. You think anyone in Charlotte would want to see a game like this in a world-class facility?
Also, the wimpy 'rain out' would not take place, since the drainage system at B of A Stadium is just a bit better than the average high school....
Time to make this happen at B of A Stadium....
Oh...what a TRAVESTY...a TRAGEDY I tell you...oh my, oh my.... (says the gal with the smallest class being 35...) GIVE ME A BREAK...
NEWS 14 "LIVE" however; The NCHSAA rules forbid "live" games unless its the State Finals but they need to make an exception. This is crazy!
Funny that a Butler fan said to Bail them out of jail. A few years ago, the Butler qb played with an electronic device on his ankle. Cute.
I have been going to school at NC State for the past four years originally from a suburb of Chicago IL. My roommate was a graduate of Hopewell High School. We have been coming to the game between the Butler Bulldogs and Independence Patriots for the past 3 years. I am sorry to hear that I won't be able to see this fantastic matchup this year. The best football I have ever witnessed has been Butler vs. Independence the past 3 years. At Veterans Stadium there are so many people that watch this game every year, Students, Faculty, Alumni, and all around Prep Football fans. It is a shame that we all can't enjoy the matchup this year. I hope and pray they work something out. Maybe change the date to later in the month so everyone can benefit from this awesome game.
As a Butler Alum, this is just STUPID.
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