LEON COUNTY SELECTED TO HOST THE 1A-8A FHSAA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Leon County has been selected to host the 2020 Class 1A - 8A Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Football State Championships at Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium on December 16 – 19, 2020. The event will be held with social distancing guidelines in place and is expected to bring over 40,000 student-athletes, coaches and fans into Leon County, with an estimated economic impact of over $4 million. The event marks the first time since 2002 that all classifications of the state championships have been held in Tallahassee-Leon County.
"Leon County is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment to athletes, coaches and spectators, allowing them to safely experience some unforgettable championship games,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Rick Minor.
Originally scheduled to take place at Gene Cox Stadium, the Class 1A-3A FHSAA Football State Championships have been moved to Doak Campbell Stadium along with the 4A-8A games to allow for a health-first environment with proper social distancing to safely welcome fans, coaches and student-athletes. Two games will be played each day of the Championships and a final schedule by classification will be provided on FHSAA.com once the playoffs conclude.
“Hosting all divisions together in 2020 at FSU’s Doak Campbell Stadium is a testament to the County’s community partnerships with Leon County Schools and Florida State University to create a safe, competitive environment that will continue to drive sports tourism here in Leon County,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long.
Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on the campus of Florida State University, popularly known as "Doak," is home to the Seminole football program three-time national champions. The stadium has a capacity of 79,560 and is the second-largest in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The playing surface is natural grass.
“We are honored that FHSAA has entrusted in Leon County to host this event during these very challenging times,” said Kerri L. Post, Director of Leon County Division of Tourism. “We look forward to welcoming fans from around the state to watch four days of championship football here in Tallahassee-Leon County.”
All tickets will be sold online only at a presale rate of $15, and $18 if purchased the day of the game. An advanced parking rate of $3 is included in the price of each ticket. Please note when purchasing tickets that seats will be assigned throughout the stadium to ensure physical distancing. Fans will be asked to follow all health protocols currently in place for FSU football games at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“The FHSAA is excited about the upcoming Florida High School Football State Championships to be hosted at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee,” said FHSAA Executive Director, George Tomyn. “Creating opportunities for our student-athletes has been a top priority of ours this year and finding a facility large enough to safely host all who wish to attend, is a dream come true. We have worked with the folks at Visit Tallahassee and in Leon County for many years now with great success and we could not be more grateful for their efforts in making these championships a reality for the student-athletes of the State of Florida.”
For more information contact Katie Kole, Senior Marketing Director, Leon County Tourism/Visit Tallahassee at (850) 606-2324 office or KoleK@LeonCountyFL.gov. Learn more about FHSAA, at FHSAA.com or about Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium at Seminoles.com.
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About Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee: The Leon County Division of Tourism (Visit Tallahassee) is the official destination marketing organization for Tallahassee-Leon County. Tourism is charged with marketing Tallahassee-Leon County nationally as a premier leisure, business and sports destination through direct sales, advertising, public relations, sports and visitor services. Named as one of Southern Living’s top 10 Cities of the South, in 2019, Tallahassee-Leon County welcomed 2.4 million visitors who contributed $1.04 billion in economic impact and accounts for more than 16,150 people employed in our community in the tourism & hospitality industry. For more information, go to VisitTallahassee.com or call toll free (800) 628-2866. Engage with Visit Tallahassee on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #iHeartTally and #Trailahassee.
About the FHSAA: The Florida High School Athletic Association supervises and regulates interscholastic athletic programs for high school students at member public, private and charter schools. The organization also recognizes and honors academic achievement among student-athletes at almost 800 middle, junior and senior high schools statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida.
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