Attendance for last month’s football championship games was 51,588 paid and 56,051 overall, setting records for the second consecutive year, the GHSA revealed Monday.Attendance the previous season was 49,126 paid and 52,089 overall. The 2024 numbers were up 5% and 7.6%, respectively, for the three-day event of eight football games and four flag football games played Dec. 16-18 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.“I’m super excited about that,” GHSA executive director Tim Scott said. “It’s a credit to the state, and we had some good matchups this year. I hope it keeps growing.”The rising attendance corresponds to the GHSA’s return to Mercedes-Benz in 2023. The finals were played at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium, an outdoor venue, from 2019 to 2022 and averaged only 26,971 paid fans, with weather often blamed for lower turnouts.Paid attendance was 40,463 when played at Mercedes-Benz in 2018 and exceeded 40,000 at the Georgia Dome each year from 2010 to 2016.Rental costs prompted the GHSA to give Georgia State a try. Returning to Mercedes-Benz meant settling for weekday games because the Falcons’ stadium is not available on weekends during the dates needed.Scott said this year’s attendance proved again that weekday games can be successful.“Some like it, and some don’t, and I can see both sides,” he said. “Some made a couple of days of it with the family, especially those not from Atlanta. The attendance still grew.”Scott credited some of the growth to adding a fourth flag football championship game. There have been eight traditional football finals played since 2016. The flag finals began in 2020.The difference between paid and overall attendance comes mostly from coaches from non-participating schools who are admitted to all GHSA events with season passes. It also includes those who purchase suites.The GHSA has not released its financial report for the finals. The AJC reported in March that revenue to the schools was down 54% last year mostly because of the cost of renting Mercedes-Benz relative to Center Parc. Some coaches complained about the shortfall, while others said the Mercedes-Benz experience was worth it.

Football finals set attendance record, exceed 50000 paid for first time

The rising attendance corresponds to the GHSA’s return to Mercedes-Benz in 2023. The finals were played at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium, an outdoor venue, from 2019 to 2022 and averaged only 26,971 paid fans, with weather often blamed for lower turnouts.Rental costs prompted the GHSA to give Georgia State a try. Returning to Mercedes-Benz […]

The rising attendance corresponds to the GHSA’s return to Mercedes-Benz in 2023. The finals were played at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium, an outdoor venue, from 2019 to 2022 and averaged only 26,971 paid fans, with weather often blamed for lower turnouts.Rental costs prompted the GHSA to give Georgia State a try. Returning to Mercedes-Benz meant settling for weekday games because the Falcons’ stadium is not available on weekends during the dates needed.Scott said this year’s attendance proved again that weekday games can be successful.The GHSA has not released its financial report for the finals. The AJC reported in March that revenue to the schools was down 54% last year mostly because of the cost of renting Mercedes-Benz relative to Center Parc. Some coaches complained about the shortfall, while others said the Mercedes-Benz experience was worth it.“I’m super excited about that,” GHSA executive director Tim Scott said. “It’s a credit to the state, and we had some good matchups this year. I hope it keeps growing.”Attendance the previous season was 49,126 paid and 52,089 overall. The 2024 numbers were up 5% and 7.6%, respectively, for the three-day event of eight football games and four flag football games played Dec. 16-18 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Paid attendance was 40,463 when played at Mercedes-Benz in 2018 and exceeded 40,000 at the Georgia Dome each year from 2010 to 2016.Attendance for last month’s football championship games was 51,588 paid and 56,051 overall, setting records for the second consecutive year, the GHSA revealed Monday.Scott credited some of the growth to adding a fourth flag football championship game. There have been eight traditional football finals played since 2016. The flag finals began in 2020.The difference between paid and overall attendance comes mostly from coaches from non-participating schools who are admitted to all GHSA events with season passes. It also includes those who purchase suites.“Some like it, and some don’t, and I can see both sides,” he said. “Some made a couple of days of it with the family, especially those not from Atlanta. The attendance still grew.”