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APPLICATION TO HOST THE WIAA SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

EVENT OVERVIEW

Host Profile:
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) was founded in 1905 as a voluntary, self-supported non-profit organization to administer the junior and senior high school athletic and activities programs in the state of Washington. The WIAA currently serves approximately 400 member high schools and 400 member middle schools and operates over 120+ High School State Championship events each school year.

Event Profile:
The WIAA Soccer State Championships are the culmination of the high school soccer season in both the fall and the spring. Member schools are divided into five classifications of play (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A and 1B/2B). The girls and 1B/2B boys play in the fall and the 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A boys play in the spring. Each classification brings four (4) teams to play Semifinal and Championship rounds with two (2) classifications at each host site. These Championships bring together student-athletes, coaches, fans, parents, officials, and other spectators from all over Washington State.

Event Extent and Corresponding Dates:
The WIAA is looking to secure a facility that covers all four years of the next classification cycle (2024-2028) for this event. The following is a summary of the corresponding dates for each of those years:

2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28
Fall: November 22-23
Spring: May 30-31		 Fall: November 21-22
Spring: May 29-30		 Fall: November 20-21
Spring: May 28-29		 Fall: November 19-20
Spring: May 26-27

Projected Team & Attendee Profile (Subject to Change):
  • 8 high school soccer teams + coaching staffs/classification
  • 8 high school soccer officials
  • Fans of the participating teams
  • WIAA Staff, Event Staff, Sponsors, Vendors
Facility Requirements:
  • One (1) approved competition field (turf preferred) - field must be capable of withstanding a total of eight (8) games over two consecutive days
  • Fully-fenced facility with ticket gate/pass gate entrances for managing and separating participants and spectators
  • Full-day facility access (Friday and Saturday) with set-up and practice slots on Thursday
  • Minimum of two (2) locker rooms
  • Restrooms
  • Lights, Scoreboard, Sound System
  • Internet access (streaming and results reporting)
  • Designated area for media, streaming, event coverage staff (minimum occupancy of six (6) people)
  • Private meeting area for up to 10 officials
  • Sufficient parking for spectators and participants, including school buses/vans
  • Sufficient seating for spectators with the ability to adequately separate school communities
  • ADA Seating
  • Emergency Action Plan
  • Adequate space for multiple vendor booths
Additional Preferences:
  • Additional field space for teams to warm up
  • Ice / water on site for sports medicine
  • Concessions for spectators or allowance for outside vendors
  • Catering or outside food allowance
  • Covered seating for spectators
  • Covered seating for teams
Host Responsibilities:
  • On-site Event Manager
  • Facility maintenance, set-up and management
  • Pass gate for teams and officials
  • Parking attendants/traffic flow
  • PA Announcer
  • Scoreboard/clock operator
  • Custodial/clean up
  • Hospitality area (with food and beverages) for working media and tournament staff
  • Ball chasers
Collaborative Responsibilities:
  • On-site signage placement
  • Ticketing (digital and paper)
Hotel Requirements:
The host city must have access to safe, reasonably priced hotel rooms for schools that must travel.

Community Involvement:
Seeking community involvement is encouraged to enhance the event for participants and spectators alike. Hosts that can provide meals, gifts and courtesy relationships are preferred. The WIAA reserves the right to determine any promotion of such involvement and to review the details of any agreements.

Current Sites: 
  • 3A, 4A Girls (Fall); 3A, 4A Boys (Spring) - Sparks Stadium (Puyallup)
  • 1A, 2A Girls (Fall) - Shoreline Stadium
  • 1B/2B Girls & Boys (Fall); 1A, 2A Boys (Spring) - Renton Memorial Stadium
Financial Agreement:
It shall be the decision of the bidding organization as to the amount of the financial aspect / agreement in their bid, and if so, what that amount shall be. Any costs to the WIAA must be outlined in the proposal. The host can retain all parking and concessions, provided that complimentary parking is provided for WIAA staff and officials, as well as team busses. If charging for parking, the rate must be included in this bid for review. The WIAA retains the right to establish ticket prices.

BID TIMELINE: Open June 22, 2023 – Closes August 1, 2023
SITE VISIT(S): August/September as needed
BOARD DECISION: September 2023
SOCCER CONTACT: Justin Kesterson, WIAA Assistant Executive Director