MISSOULA – Missoula has lost out on its bid to host the 2010 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game.
NCAA officials notified the Missoula Organizing Committee Special Events on Monday that Missoula isn’t among the finalists for the game, which will be played in January 2011.
The title game has been held in Chattanooga, Tenn., since 1997.
Gary Hughes, chairman of the Missoula committee, says the NCAA indicated that Missoula’s bid fell short because it was for only one year while the others were for a three-year period.
UM Athletic Director Jim O’Day said in a news release that the one-year bid was the “ultimate downfall.”
“That was the difference, no doubt about it,” O’Day said. “They really had nothing but praise for our facilities, for our community support and for Missoula in general, but they didn’t want to keep bidding this event year-after-year.”
While other cities use tax revenues to cover any net losses from holding such an event, Missoula does not. Instead, Missoula’s bid was guaranteed for one year by a group of local residents who signed papers to cover any financial losses.
“We felt it was not fair to expect a group of Missoula businessmen and women to foot the entire guarantee for three years,” Hughes said. “That could have amounted to between $600,000 and $900,000 over the three years.”
Hughes says even though the NCAA’s decision is disappointing, Missoula will have the opportunity to make stronger bids for future FCS National championship games.
“I know we can bring this event to Missoula and Washington-Grizzly Stadium,” he said. “I sincerely appreciate the efforts and cooperation of the 14 Missoula organizations that contributed to the NCAA bid effort.”