Neyland Hosting the World Cup......? It could be so..

#1
KingNick865

KingNick865

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#1
First, I didn't know where to put this, but considering it has to do with Neyland Stadium, I thought I'd put it here.

(GoVolsXtra.com) -- Neyland Stadium is on a list of 70 venues being considered as the USA Bid Committee prepares a formal bid to host to the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, according to a release issued Wednesday from the USA Bid Committee.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati and USA Bid Committee executive director David Downs will discuss the selections in a press conference call on Thursday.

A minimum of 12 stadiums are usually used for Cup play.

The deadline for the USA Bid Committee to hear from officials representing candidate markets and venues is April 17.

Countries have until May 2010 to submit bids.
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Don't know how exactly Neyland's field dimensions are going to work for this, but I'm hoping this happens so I can go see Ronaldinho or Lionel Messi playing in Neyland.

Then again, Ronaldinho will be long retired if this happens, but w/e.
 
#2
#2
wow..didn't think the pitch at Neyland would be big enough for a soccer match. It would be great if it actually happened.
 
#3
#3
Doubt it will happen. The NCAA will hardly let Knoxville host a men's NCAA tournament game because of lack of hotel rooms in the area so I assume the US Soccer Federation won't choose Knoxville for the same reason.

It would be great for the local economy and great exposure for UT and Knoxville though.
 
#7
#7
dickens821 said:
Not a big soccer fan, but I do quite enjoy it. I'm pretty sure I would love all the foreigners and the games though.
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The foreigners would almost be as entertaining as the matches. Seeing 10 drunk Brazilians singing their national anthem on Gay Street would really be something else.

Hopefully, it would go a long way to...

A. Boost Knoxville's economy

B. Create a ton of interest in the game here in East Tennessee

C. Helping out our chances for an MLS team in the state.

However, I'm quite concerned that Knoxville isn't big enough of a city to host this magnitude of an event. This is like hosting the Super Bowl x10. One thing is for sure. Knoxville will have to have a ton of renovation projects in downtown, if we even get past the first cut of venues.

I'm just honored that Knoxville and Neyland is considered good enough of a city and stadium by the USSF to host a WC.
 
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#8
#8
nickknx865 said:
B. Create a ton of interest in the game here in East Tennessee

However, I'm quite concerned that Knoxville isn't big enough of a city to host this magnitude of an event. This is like hosting the Super Bowl x10. One thing is for sure. Knoxville will have to have a ton of renovation projects in downtown, if we even get past the first cut of venues.
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There would be be interest while it was in town, but a WC game in Knoxville wouldn't create much sustained interest in the sport. I remember soccer gurus at the time declared that the '94 WC in the U.S. would lead to America finally embracing soccer.

I'd be more concerned that Knoxville would actually aquire tons of debt to build projects for a brief event. Who's going to stay in all the new hotels after the WC leaves town?
 
#9
#9
The Dude said:
There would be be interest while it was in town, but a WC game in Knoxville wouldn't create much sustained interest in the sport. I remember soccer gurus at the time declared that the '94 WC in the U.S. would lead to America finally embracing soccer.

I'd be more concerned that Knoxville would actually aquire tons of debt to build projects for a brief event. Who's going to stay in all the new hotels after the WC leaves town?
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Wasn't there a similar problem with the 82 World's Fair?

The 1994 World Cup started the MLS, a league that has lasted about 10 years longer than most expected. It did have a profound impact in how Americans view the sport.
 
#10
#10
bigbrant19 said:
wow..didn't think the pitch at Neyland would be big enough for a soccer match. It would be great if it actually happened.
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can't see how it would be big enough at all. IIRC that was one of the reason Neyland wasn't chosen in 94. A soccer field is almost 30yds wider than football.
 
#12
#12
Add another ballot to the "not big enough to handle it" box.

The key to hosting any big event... Super Bowl, Final Four, World Cup, etc. is hotels.
 
#14
#14
utvolpj said:
can't see how it would be big enough at all. IIRC that was one of the reason Neyland wasn't chosen in 94. A soccer field is almost 30yds wider than football.
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I think they could probably reconfigure Neyland to host soccer. They converted Sanford Stadium in Athens over to soccer for the '96 Olympics . . . although they did have to rip out the hedges to make it work.
 
#15
#15
nickknx865 said:
Wasn't there a similar problem with the 82 World's Fair?

The 1994 World Cup started the MLS, a league that has lasted about 10 years longer than most expected. It did have a profound impact in how Americans view the sport.
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I'm not sure I'd say it's been "profound". Actually from what I remember MLS was supposed to be huge; I don't recall many claiming it would last only a couple of years. While I'll give it credit for lasting, it's not like it's really raking in the ratings.
 
#16
#16
VolsSportsFan said:
I'm not sure I'd say it's been "profound". Actually from what I remember MLS was supposed to be huge; I don't recall many claiming it would last only a couple of years. While I'll give it credit for lasting, it's not like it's really raking in the ratings.
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That is true. Heck, I'm what most would call a "soccer guy", and I barely watch it. The play in MLS is far less exciting than in the Premier League or La Liga.
 
#17
#17
Don't get me wrong though, if Nashville got a team I'd probably check out a few games a year and buy a t-shirt or 2.
 
#18
#18
babercr1 said:
Doubt it will happen. The NCAA will hardly let Knoxville host a men's NCAA tournament game because of lack of hotel rooms in the area so I assume the US Soccer Federation won't choose Knoxville for the same reason.

It would be great for the local economy and great exposure for UT and Knoxville though.
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Huh... Dayton, Ohio and Boise, Idaho have more hotel rooms than Knoxville?
 
#19
#19
Rasputin_Vol said:
Huh... Dayton, Ohio and Boise, Idaho have more hotel rooms than Knoxville?
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Going by city size, Dayton, probably not. They're about the same size as Chattanooga, city proper wise. However, they have over a million in the metro area. Now, Boise is bigger than Knoxville, as far as city proper. Knoxville, however, is bigger than Boise in terms of metro population by about 100,000 people.
 
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#20
#20
What's the point of playing in a 100,000 seat stadium if it would be empty?
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#21
#21
Actually, Knoxville is bigger than most would expect it to be.

City Proper wise, Knoxville has a bigger pop. than..........(2007 est. used)
---------------------------------------------------
Providence, RI
Jackson, MS
Dayton, OH
Tallahassee, FL
Albany, NY
Salt Lake City, UT
Newport News, VA

Not very impressive, but I think it's good enough to get a pro sports team at some point in time.
 
#22
#22
timmy said:
What's the point of playing in a 100,000 seat stadium if it would be empty?
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Do you honestly think that the stands would be empty? Watch some of the 2006 WC games in Germany. Doesn't matter if they played it in the middle of a desert, the stadium would be jam packed.
 
#23
#23
Just also did a little math here. By 2022, when the WC would come to the US, Knoxville would have a population of 205,000 people. Surely, a few more hotels would be built by then.
 
#24
#24
nickknx865 said:
Do you honestly think that the stands would be empty? Watch some of the 2006 WC games in Germany. Doesn't matter if they played it in the middle of a desert, the stadium would be jam packed.
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Germany actually likes soccer as a nation. Plus that German team was fairly good iirc.
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