Classic could set an attendance record for Hawai'i
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Keith Amemiya, catalyst of Saturday's HHSAA/First Hawaiian Bank Football Classic, predicts the doubleheader at Aloha Stadium will draw the biggest crowd ever to see high school football in Hawai 'i.
Amemiya, executive director of the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association, said that through Friday night, nearly 23,000 tickets had been sold.
The state record is 32,812 for the O'ahu Prep Bowl game between Wai'anae and Kamehameha in 1978.
"We should easily break the state record," Amemiya said. "We are still hopeful we can sell the place out." Aloha Stadium seats 50,000.
Though sales so far would fill less than half the stadium, Amemiya pointed out that more than 20,000 of the 24,481 people who watched last November's state championship game were "walk-up" ticket buyers on the day of the game.
"This is an unprecedented event," Amemiya said. "On the Mainland they are calling it the High School Super Bowl."
Hawai'i's state championship game crowd last year was the second-largest of any single state championship game in the nation. Kahuku won its second straight state title by defeating St. Louis, 21-14, on Nov. 30.
The only larger single-game crowd reported was 26,083 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston for the Texas 5A Division II game on Dec. 22.
The Texas 4A-II game earlier the same day drew an estimated 17,500 to the Astrodome.
While Hawai'i has a single state football championship, Texas has 10 divisions with a state tournament and championship in each.
Several states that have "festivals" of championship games on the same day and at the same place drew larger total crowds than Texas or Hawai'i, but none drew as many for a single game.
California does not have state championships; the season ends with sectional finals. Long Beach Poly, which plays Kahuku in Saturday's Classic, attracted the largest championship game crowd reported in California last year — 13,015 in the Southern Section final.
De La Salle of Concord, the other California team visiting Saturday, drew only 2,500 for its 2001 sectional championship game, which was played in a downpour.
Amemiya, who led the campaign to hold the first state football championship tournament here in 1999, was delighted with the attendance report.
"The HHSAA sincerely appreciates the public's support of our state football playoffs, especially at the championship game," Amemiya said. "The fact that Hawai'i drew the second-largest crowd in the country last year underscores the importance of high school athletics in Hawai'i, particularly football."
• • •
| All-time biggest crowds
The top 16 state-record crowds for high school football games: Attendance State, Year (stadium) 120,000 Illinois, 1937 (Soldier Field) 70,955 Ohio, 1946 (Cleveland Stadium) 57,000 (est) California, 1924 (L.A. Coliseum) 49,953 Texas, 1977 (Texas Stadium) 47,554 Florida, 1965 (Orange Bowl) 43,539 Michigan, 1943 (Tiger Stadium) 40,385 Oklahoma, 1999 (Skelly Stadium,Tulsa) 40,599 Connecticut, 1948 (Yale Bowl) 40,000 (est) Louisiana, 1999 (Superdome) 37,252 Kentucky, 1998 (Cardinal Stadium) 34,000 (est) Virginia, 1969 (Richmond City Stadium) 32,812 Hawai'i, 1978 (Aloha Stadium) 32,000 (est) New Jersey, 1977 (Giants Stadium) 32,000 (est) Tennessee, 1988 (Vanderbilt Stadium) 30,000 (est) Washington, 1985 (Kingdome) 30,000 (est) Alabama, 1945 (Birmingham) Compiled by Barry Solenberger and Doug Huff, Student Sports • • • 2001 state championship games The top 17 crowds for single state high school championship football games last season: Attendance State/ Division (Location, date) 26,083 Texas 5-AII (Astrodome, Dec . 22) 24,841 Hawai'i (Aloha Stadium, Nov. 30) 23,000 (est) Oklahoma 6A (Oklahoma St. Dec. 1) 20,485 Kentucky 4A (Louisville, Dec. 1) 18,478 Ohio Div. 1 (Canton Dec. 1) 17,500 (est) Texas 4A-II (Astrodome, Dec. 22) 15,600 Utah 4A (Weber State) 14,300 Utah 5A (Weber State) 14,000 (est) Louisiana 4A (At Super Dome, Dec. 8) 13,015 California Southern Section (Anaheim) 12,520 Tennessee 5A (Murfreesboro) 12,128 Florida 6A (Tallahassee) 10,266 Virginia 3A 10,000 (est) Washington 4A (Tacoma Dome) 10,000 (est) Mississippi 5A (Starkville, Dec. 7) 9,385 Nebraska A (Lincoln, Nov. 16) 8,775 (paid) Iowa 4A (U. of Northern Iowa) • • • Other attendance figures of note, including states where single-game attendance was not tabulated: Texas: 84,934 for seven of the 10 division championship games (other three not available). Michigan: 65,356 for eight games (four doubleheaders) over two days at Pontiac Silverdome. 18,965 for second doubleheader on Nov. 24. Ohio: 63,700 for six games at two sites over two days. Louisiana: 54,114 for five games over two days at the Superdome; 32,203 for tripleheader on the second day. Fifth highest total in the history of the Superdome series, which started in 1981. Indiana: 41,560 for five games over two days at RCA Dome. Alabama: 40,126 for six games over three days at Birmingham Legion Field; 15,230 for biggest doubleheader. Kentucky: 40,947 for four 11-man games over two days. Tennessee: 40,582 for eight games on three dates. Florida: 36,961 for six games over three days. Illinois: 35,741 for eight games over two days at University of Illinois, third largest attendance in tournament history. Wisconsin: 32,782 for six games over two days at University of Wisconsin (largest game, 7,433). North Carolina: 30,000 (est.) for five games on three dates at University of North Carolina (largest game, 8,500 estimate). Utah: 29,900 for top two division games on same day, both at Weber State. Iowa: 29,717 paid for five games over two days at University of Northern Iowa. Nebraska: 29,294 for six games over three days. Source: Survey by Dennis Anderson |
