FOOTBALL

IHSA announces new site for football state finals

Adam Duvall
Journal Star

Welcome home, Illinois High School Association football state finals.

The IHSA board of directors approved a five-year contract with Illinois State University's Hancock Stadium to host the eight state championship games, starting in 2023 with the state finals on Nov. 24-25. Hancock Stadium was the site of the first state finals in 1974 until 1998 when it moved to Memorial Stadium on the University of Illinois campus.

Nine years ago, Hancock Stadium underwent a $23 million renovation that included stadium-wide updates, including new chair back seating, suites and a new press box among other upgrades. The multi-purpose stadium featuring a FieldTurf surface can hold 13,391.

A state-of-the-art indoor practice facility is set to be completed before next year's state finals.

“We appreciate all of the hosting bids that we received for the IHSA football state finals,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a release. “Seeing the passion that these university communities have for hosting the State Finals and the amazing stadiums that each campus offers didn’t make for an easy decision.

"Ultimately, the first-class facilities, amazing support from Illinois State University and the Bloomington-Normal communities, and the central location proved to be the biggest factors in returning to ISU for the next five years.”

Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois in Carbondale each submitted the pre-requiste five successive year bid. Illinois' proposal was for 2024, 2026 and 2028 due to the Fighting Illini having home games in those odd years.

Peoria High coach Tim Thornton says he likes the proximity of the new state finals site in Normal. The Lions played in last month's Class 5A state title, falling to LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy, 45-44.

"The fact that's it's 35 minutes, 45 minutes for us is nice," Thornton said. "I'm kind of excited. I hope we can make it back there."

He says he understood the drawbacks Champaign faced with having to alternate hosting with DeKalb every other year.

"If Champaign was a place to host it every year, that would be just fine," he said. "I think the fact that (the IHSA) found a place that can host it consecutive years, I think, is fantastic. I think it's going to make it easier on everybody.

"... The location where it's major highways coming in every direction kind of delivers everybody there pretty easy."

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.