A week’s worth of baseball was on display over six days last week at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
The Charleston area won two championships, while the Eastern Panhandle and southern West Virginia claimed the others.
The only problem was that crowds were sparse throughout much of the week during quarterfinal games before growing noticeably during the semifinals and championship Saturday.
The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission did not announce official attendance figures for any of the 28 state tournament games, so there is no way to quantify exactly how many people attended each contest.
But after spending six days at Jack Cook Field, it was hard not to notice the difference between quarterfinal crowds and those that showed up later in the week.
Which raises an important question: Is an eight-team format asking too much of parents and communities, or is the issue that the tournament was played in Huntington rather than a more centralized location such as Charleston?
The issue isn’t necessarily where the games are played.
The issue is how many times parents and communities are being asked to travel.
Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field proved itself to be a championship-caliber venue. In fact, I think it strengthened the case that more high school state championships should be played in collegiate facilities when available.
Jack Cook Field provided a quality playing surface, ample seating, modern amenities and the type of atmosphere worthy of a state championship event. In hindsight, it made it more special.
The fact that crowds poured into the stadium for the semifinals and championship games suggests location alone isn’t the issue.
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For communities in Wheeling, Martinsburg, Petersburg, Keyser and many other parts of the state, the challenge isn’t whether the tournament is held in Huntington, Charleston or Beckley.
The challenge is making multiple trips.
Regardless of the host city, many families are still looking at hotel rooms, meals, tickets and fuel costs. They’re also dealing with time away from work, school and other commitments.
For a team that played a quarterfinal on Monday but didn’t return until Thursday for the semifinals, attending every game became a significant financial and time commitment.
Moving the event 50 or even 75 miles closer to one part of the state doesn’t fundamentally change that reality.
After Logan’s championship loss to Frankfort, Wildcats coach Kevin Gertz praised the expanded format, saying “Anytime you can get more kids the experience of the state tournament, it’s a good thing.”
It’s hard to disagree with that sentiment. More opportunities are generally a positive thing.
But here’s the part of the conversation that deserves more consideration: If you’re one of the last eight teams standing in West Virginia, you’ve already accomplished something significant.
A team that qualifies for the final eight is a state quarterfinalist regardless of where that game is played. The accomplishment doesn’t become more meaningful simply because the quarterfinal takes place at the same venue as the championship game.
First, making the state playoffs should be celebrated as one of the top accomplishments of the season. Whether a team loses in the first round, quarterfinals, reaches the semifinals or wins a championship, being among the final teams in the state matters.
Second, accessibility is equally important.
The quarterfinal schedule featured games at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays. For working families, students and community members traveling across the state, those are difficult time slots.
Not surprisingly, attendance appeared stronger when games shifted to the semifinals and championship rounds later in the week.
The state championship experience should maximize atmosphere, attendance and community support. If the format makes it difficult for parents and communities to attend, then the discussion shouldn’t focus solely on where the games are played.
It should focus on how the event is structured.
Perhaps the answer is allowing quarterfinal games to be played at neutral sites closer to the participating schools while preserving the semifinals and championship games as true destination events. You could even turn state quarterfinals into a best-of-three series played between Thursday and Saturday a week before the state semifinals and finals.
Football has long operated under a similar model. Early-round playoff games are played closer to participating communities before the focus shifts to championship weekend at Laidley Field.
Why couldn’t other sports explore a similar approach?
Parents and communities would face fewer travel demands.
Communities would have a better opportunity to travel to support their schools and athletes.
And the semifinals and championship games could become a true event rather than the conclusion of a six-day bracket.
It would also reduce some of the costs associated with hosting the equivalent of three rounds of a 32-team bracket at a single site while easing financial burdens for the WVSSAC, families, coaches and schools.
I agree with Gertz that giving more student-athletes an opportunity to compete for a state championship is a good thing. But making the playoffs itself already provides that opportunity.
Whether a team’s season ends in the quarterfinals or culminates with a championship trophy, those players still earned their place among the state’s best.
The question facing the WVSSAC isn’t where the event takes place. Jack Cook Field proved to be a worthy host.
The question is whether an expanded eight-team format is asking too much of the very communities who create the atmosphere that makes those events special.
If the answer is yes, then the conversation shouldn’t begin with geography. It should begin with structure.