There's a bunch of Southern states that didn't try to pass any such legislation yet. FWIW, Alabama's one. Come to Birmingham, Copa! lol It ain't just the Copa. It's WCQ, too. Without the 1996 Olympics, I could probably count the meaningful (not friendly) matches held in the South on one hand.
A lot of that has to do with demographics. A lot of it with Stadiums' interests. A lot of it has to do with better alternatives. What games do you think should have been in the South?
I'd be interested in a link describing the demographics the USSF or CONCACAF (I'm assuming both had a hand in choosing the venues- CONMEBOL wouldn't have done the scheduling without some input) was looking for. Actual stadium attendance will be similar anywhere for an event of this magnitude. Stadium interest might be an issue. WUSA got kicked out of Grant Field (GaTech) because they were "tearing up the field", according the the gridiron coaching staff. But Legion Field (Birmingham) would love to have a Copa match, because they don't have a lot else going on there since Alabama started playing in Tuscaloosa. It's a nicer stadium than CONMEBOL's accustomed to on average, I'll bet. Not "which", but "how many". 13/50 states... roughly 25%. The idea that there aren't enough fans to fill the stadia just doesn't wash, and the number of residents outside the stadium doesn't matter. I forgot to mention that I was at the USA-T&T qualifier at LP Field (NFL Titans, about 100 miles from me). IIRC, that's the last time the USA played a meaningful match within driving distance (about 200 miles).
The Federation has a list of many categories and standards used to determine where they will play. After going through that list the South just seemed to be edged out by other venues. Good news for you in Bama is if you think a game against T&T is meaningful then you should be able to drive to Jacksonville, Florida with a smile on your face in September.
The semi final last year was in Atlanta. Portland hosted a group stage match three years ago vs Belize.
Are we supposed to still be waiting on the e-tickets to be sent? When I go onto ticketmaster I don't see a way to view or print my tickets. Only options I see are transfer and sell.
FYI for anyone else wondering about this. I sent them an email and this was the response: I typically use my phone for events anyway, but I usually have the option to print them instead if I want. I guess they're trying to push people to just use mobile now to avoid scammers duplicating tickets.
Good info. I guess I will ask them to be at will call since I don't like taking out my phone in crowds.