Sports is heating up Chattanooga, Tennessee this fall, and Chattanooga Sports, a division of Chattanooga Tourism Co., is thrilled to serve as the host for Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s (TSSAA) state championships. Young athletes, families, and fans from across the state will be making their way to the Scenic City for an action-packed closure to an exciting season of soccer and football.
The TSSAA Girls' State Soccer Championships will be held October 27-30.
The best high school teams will go head-to-head to make it to the championship rounds at the only soccer specific stadium in Tennessee, CHI Memorial Stadium. Yesterday, playoff brackets were announced highlighting which soccer teams will compete in the preliminary rounds being hosted at CCS, GPS and the Baylor School. The last time Chattanooga hosted this event was in 2012. Later this year, for the first time ever, the Blue Cross Bowl will be played at the 20,000-seat Finley Stadium, featuring premiere high football teams vying to become state champions December 2-4.
Tim Morgan, Chief Sports Officer for Chattanooga Sports, weighed in on how both sporting events are positively impacting the city, making Chattanooga attractive to top athletes.
“TSSAA’s girls soccer and football is kicking off an initiative to bring back high school state championships to Chattanooga. With these two events, our city will continue being the place to take state championships to another level for high school sports.”
Known as a family-friendly, outdoor mecca in the Southeast, Chattanooga is now emerging as a rising sports destination with an increase in hosting various amateur and professional tournaments over the last few years. The city is actively investing and catering to its growing sports community by winning host city bids such as the BlueCross Bowl State Football Championships for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
To complement these sports experiences when visitors are in town, Chattanooga offers an array of outdoor, cultural, and culinary attractions such as activities on Lookout Mountain including Ruby Falls and the new Songbirds Guitar Center which opened last month. The Bessie Smith Cultural Center, which uplifts and preserves African American history in the city, is a must-see with renovations and new exhibits. Visitors can stop by Market South, a popular food hall featuring multiple restaurants, a vinyl shop, and more. PROOF Incubator + Bar features a multitude of culinary concepts from up-and-coming chefs in the area.