The split tournament is the only way to go for everyone. Including wrestlers, coaches, fans, refs, and workers. Maize runs a 1000+ kids gym tournament and has used the split format for 9 years. This eliminates having to impose a limit as Nigel stated which severely limits your fund raising capability not to mention turning kids away. Also trading concession funds for wrestler entry fees is a poor proposition.
Other positive factors include:
->Table workers & refs get a break between sessions.
->Tournament volunteers love it.
->Wrestlers can stay focused and perform better.
->Getting started on time is more likely since there are half the divisions to run scratches and re-balance brackets against per session.
->Awards and poster brackets are distributed in 2 intervals instead of all at the end allowing a shorter wait.
->Less people in the facility allowing the fans to actually see matches. Bracket runners to get to the wall brackets. Coaches to locate kids. Bathrooms availability, parking, talking and enjoying the time with your children, family, and wrestling friends.
->Shorter lines for concessions.
->Split tournaments allow double bracketing. You can wrestle your age plus the next age up if they fall on opposite sessions.
->When folks do have other weekend schedule conflicts that they do, a split tournament may allow you to do both activities.
->Ref's get paid the same.

Bottom line if you want to spent the day with your child the split tournament allows you to wrestle and leave some of the day to do other activities. But everyone still has the choice to watch both sessions and make a day out of it if they have nothing better to do. The statement that "State Champions are made from thousands of hours of practice" is true, so maximizing that time is key and not the time sitting in gyms. The long tournament days are the single biggest reason I see parents leave the kids wrestling programs. Our sport has got to respect the parents interest since the parents are ultimately making the decisions and not the kids.