Star-Tribune Editorial Board

Call it a worthy experiment.

The Wyoming High School Activities Association has decided that the 2009 state football championships will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, on a one-year trial basis. A similar proposal was defeated by the board of directors last year, after some members objected to the additional travel and time out of school it will necessitate.

There are some advantages to the current system, in which teams in each of the five classifications earn hosting duties by winning their conferences. The home-field advantage can help teams. It also costs less money than bringing all of the teams to play at the University of Wyoming.

But the expense factor may be outweighed by the opportunity to give Wyoming high school athletes a chance to play at the premier football facility in the state.

Other factors, including the weather, may play a large role in how well received the trial system is by players and fans next year. It may be that one year is not long enough to adequately judge whether it's an improvement.

But after talking about the proposal so much in recent years, it's worth trying it. Laramie now has an adequate number of hotel rooms available to accommodate the large crowds likely to travel to the games. UW officials are excited about the possibilities and anxious to prove their hosting abilities.

And, for at least one year, players will know that their efforts could culminate in a trip to UW to play the biggest football game of their lives. What more incentive do they need?