CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee -- A perfect set of circumstances combined with more than a decade of work produced the kind of night people in Chattanooga, Tennessee, envisioned when the city began hosting the Division I Football Championship game in 1997.

The 11^th version of the game drew a neutral-site record crowd of 23,010 at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field December 14 and produced a scene that the locals will cherish. The game itself was memorable – Appalachian State, noted for its season-opening upset of Michigan, captured an unprecedented third consecutive national title when the Mountaineers dispatched Delaware, 49-21.

But more importantly for Chattanooga officials, thousands left with great memories of the city, which has become a destination for the FCS fan base. "We want to be the Omaha of the Football Championship Subdivision," said Merrill Eckstein, president of the Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee.

Eckstein knows that more time and tradition must build before Chattanooga becomes synonymous with the FCS championship, but the people of Chattanooga are seeing signs that FCS teams are at least aware of the target.

"One of my favorite stories happened in 2006 after a semifinal game between Montana and Massachusetts," said Gordon Davenport, who is a businessman and an instrumental community leader. "After the game, one of the UMass players got in front of the ESPN cameras and yelled, ‘We’re going to Chattanooga! We’re going to Chattanooga!’ That is powerful to me."

Davenport's late father, Gordon Sr., played a major role in Chattanooga acquiring the FCS title game, and the field was named after him to honor his contributions. Through the years, enhancements have been made to Finley Stadium. After the grass turf became an issue in the 2004 championship game, Davenport organized a fund-raising campaign that contributed more than $260,000 to help pay for a new artificial field.

"I have lived all over the country, and I have never lived in a community where the people give back like this city does," Eckstein said.

Besides the new playing surface, other enhancements over the last three years include a new scoreboard and video board. In all, almost $1 million has been pumped into Finley Stadium improvements over the last three years.

Maintenance for the facility, which opened in 1997, is handled by minor league baseball owner Frank Burke. His Chattanooga Lookouts staff does double duty by caring for Finley Stadium and AT&T Field.

"We built the baseball stadium with private funds, and this community has embraced it and turned out for our games," Burke said. "When I was asked to come over and do this, I knew someone had to -- and here I am."

Many of the day-to-day operations for the championship game fall to Scott Smith, the vice president and event director of the Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee. He is involved with nearly every aspect of the operation. Smith estimates he begins doing at least one daily task for the game in the middle of summer. By fall, much of his attention is devoted to having everything ready for the mid-December showcase event.

Smith is a native of the city and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

"This game is a source of pride for the community," he said. "It has taken a while to get there. Locals look forward to coming to the game. It is our marquee event. Our local ticket sales were up about 2,000 to 3,000 tickets this year. That number has grown every year for the last four years."

Chattanooga’s tourist attractions include Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee Aquarium, where the 2007 finalists enjoyed a barbeque dinner and a tour of the fresh- and salt-water exhibits.

The Division I Football Championship Committee will decide in February whether to exercise an option to hold the game in Chattanooga for 2008.

Since the city relies on tourism dollars, the game comes at a perfect time, pumping an estimated $2.5 million into the local economy.

"It has a tremendous economic impact on our community," Eckstein said. "It comes at a time in December when hotel occupancy is at a low."

Smith added: "This is a tourist town, but not in December the week before Christmas. We’ve had hotels tell us that they usually lay people off this time of year. This game keeps them from having to do that."

The city hopes to gain more chances at putting its best foot forward.

“I've been to bowl games that weren't as much fun as coming to Chattanooga," said Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore, who previously worked as an assistant at Nebraska and Arkansas. "After we came here the first time in 2005, our people went back and told everyone that they should go to Chattanooga. It's just gotten bigger and bigger each year for us. It has helped our players know what the excitement of college football can bring."

Appalachian State fans react while their team advances toward another
touchdown during the s Football Championship Subdivision title game
held at Finley Stadium-Davenport Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee on
December 14 2007. The Mountaineers claimed their third consecutive
national championship with a 49-21 win over the University of Delaware.
(Alex McMahan/NCAA Photos).

Appalachian State fans, who helped make up a FCS
neutral-field record crowd 23,010, celebrate the Mountaineers'
first touchdown at Finley Stadium-Davenport Field in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. The new scoreboard in the
background was part of the recent enhancements made
to the stadium. (Alex McMahan/NCAA Photos).

The 2004 FCS title game between James Madison
and Montana was an impetus for enhancements to the
Chattanooga's Finley Stadium-Davenport Field. The grass
surface coming up in clumps was a scenario the people of
Chattanooga didn't want to occur again.
(Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos).

The condition of the field in the 2004 FCS title game
became almost as big a story as James Madison (white uniforms)
defeating Montana 31-21 on the scoreboard.
(Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos).

Appalachian State running back Devon Moore (20) out runs
defensive back Charles Graves of Delaware to en route to a
touchdown in the 2007 FCS title game.  Despite rain during the
week of the game, the teams enjoyed great footing on the
artificial surface. (Alex McMahan/NCAA Photos).

In 2005, workers began digging up the grass field at Finley
Stadium-Davenport Field in preparation of putting in a new
artificial playing surface.
(Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Times-Free Press).

A private fund-raising campaign contributed more than $260,000 to
help pay for a new artificial field at Chattanooga's Finley Stadium.
(Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Times-Free Press).

Appalachian State football coach Jerry Moore, who previously
was an assistant at Nebraska and Arkansas, said, "I've been to
bowl games that weren't as much fun as coming to Chattanooga."
Moore's program became the first to win three consecutive FCS national titles.
(Alex McMahan/NCAA Photos).

Offensive linemen Scott Suttle (66) and John Holt of Appalachian
State celebrate after winning the program's third straight
national championship. The Mountaineers began the 2007
season by shocking Football Bowl Subdivision fifth-ranked
Michigan 34-32 on September 1 and ended the season with a
49-21 win over Delaware on December 14.
(Mark Gilliland/NCAA Photos).