The results of this week’s regional quarterfinals have ensured that all four 6A Region I boys soccer semifinalists will be teams from Dallas-Fort Worth — who will be traveling five hours by bus to play each other in Midland.
In previous cases — such as in 2014, when all four 5A Region I qualifying teams for girls soccer were based in Dallas-Fort Worth — the University Interscholastic League has moved the tournament to a central location for the participants.
In 2014, UIL athletic director Mark Cousins released a statement saying, "We re-evaluated the regional tournament location in an effort to be sensitive to the additional travel cost and loss of school time associated with traveling long distances.”
However, the UIL has already made arrangements for this year’s semifinals to be held at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, even though all four participating teams are located within 35 minutes of each other, according to USA Today.
UIL media coordinator Kate Hector told Dallas News that so far, there have been no requests from the coaches of the semifinalist teams to relocate the tournament. “In the past,” she said, “we've had the schools request it to be moved and we've had those contingencies that didn't take place this time."
At this point in the game, the chances of relocation are slight. “If the schools had a site in mind and already had those plans, it's a possibility," said Hector, "but pulling it from Midland this late, it would be challenging, and none of those steps have occurred so far."
Hector said the UIL would potentially consider a request to relocate if all four coaches made a request by Friday.
{module Tournament Relocation}
