The high school football state championship games are moving out of the Tacoma Dome.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Executive Board voted Sunday not to renew its contract to hold state football championship games at the facility.
The WIAA cited financial reasons along with complaints about renovations last summer that left some fans unable to see the entire field.
“Ultimately, the Executive Board needed to evaluate whether holding the Gridiron Classic in the Tacoma Dome made sense for the Association, student-participants and fans,” WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese said. “Costs of renting the facility have continued to increase and WIAA staff received criticisms regarding the new seating arrangement for football.”
Colbrese said the WIAA plans to finalize new sites for state championship games this fall. Championship games for different classifications will likely be held at different sites.
“While the Tacoma Dome offered the ability to have all state championship football games in one location, we anticipate that using multiple sites will have its own benefits,” Colbrese said. “Fans will see lower ticket prices by no longer paying the service fees associated with the dome, and related costs of attending the event, such as parking and concessions, will be significantly reduced as well.”
State championship football games have been held at the Tacoma Dome since 1995. Some state semifinal games were held at the Tacoma Dome from 1983 until 2016, when the WIAA moved those games due to an increase in rental fees.
Basketball and wrestling state championship tournaments will continue to be held in the Tacoma Dome.
Teams from Clark County have seen plenty of recent success in the Tacoma Dome.
Last fall, Union won the Class 4A state championship and Hockinson won the 2A title, marking the first time Clark County had two state football champions in the same year. Hockinson also won the 2A title in 2017 and Camas won the 4A title in 2016.
