25K fans expected as Prep Bowl gets under way
The state high school football tournament, the Prep Bowl, begins Friday at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
The tournament will feature 14 teams vying for a state title.
Kevin Merkle, the associate director of the Minnesota State High School League, expected 25,000 fans to attend the tourney over its two-day run.
"It's always a thrill," Merkle said, "and even though it's a 60,000-seat stadium and we don't have near that many people in there, it's still a great atmosphere. It gets noisy in there and the fans get excited, and it's a real fun experience for the kids."
The tournament added a seventh class this year for the largest schools in the state. Merkle said that has made the competition fairer for smaller schools.
"It wasn't about having more champions; it really was about having more fair competition," Merkle said. "Football is such a numbers game, and the bigger schools have an advantage."
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