High school football: Campus closure at Illinois State forces IHSA to postpone state finals
The IHSA state football championships will not be played on Saturday, due to Illinois State University closing its campus.
While some games have been rescheduled, others are still awaiting new dates and times.
What we know:
The IHSA has announced the four state championship games set for Saturday, Nov. 29, would be postponed "out an abundance of caution." The Class 8A, 7A, 6A and 5A championships were scheduled for Saturday. ISU announced on Friday that it was closing its campus due to the impending winter storm that is expected to impact the Bloomington-Normal area, as well as significant portions of the state.
The Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A title games on Friday, Nov. 28, will not be impacted by the campus closure on Saturday, and will be played as scheduled.
The IHSA announced later on Friday that the 5A and 6A title games have been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 2 at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM, respectively.
The 5A state title game between St. Francis High School and Providence Catholic kicks off first at 3:00 PM and will be followed by the 6A championship between East St. Louis and Fenwick. The IHSA noted that all tickets previously purchased through the ISU ticket office will be honored.
According to the release from the IHSA, the IHSA is currently working with leadership at Illinois State to determine the dates and times of the 7A and 8A championship games between St. Rita vs. Brother Rice and Mount Carmel vs. Oswego.
What they're saying:
"The postponement of the IHSA Football State Finals is unprecedented in the state playoffs 51-year history," IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a release. "All of the competing teams in Class 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A have been alerted that their state championship games will not be played on November 29, but that they will be played in the coming days. We appreciate the patience and understanding of these schools and communities as we work to determine the best and safest solution to rescheduling these contests and crowning state champions in our four largest classes."
"There are still some logistical hurdles to clear in regard to the rescheduling of the Class 7A and 8A games," Anderson said in a later release. "It is our intention to have that finalized by Saturday (Nov. 29) evening. We appreciate the patience and support of the competing schools and our partners at ISU and in Bloomington-Normal as we navigate this unprecedented situation."
2025 IHSA FOOTBALL STATE FINALS
Friday, November 28
1A | Lena-Winslow 58, Brown County 13
2A | Wilmington 42, Maroa-Forsyth 6
3A | Byron 56, Tolono Unity 50
4A | Montini vs. Rochester (ONGOING)
Tuesday, December 2
5A | St. Francis vs. Providence Catholic, 3:00 P.M.
6A | Fenwick vs. East St. Louis. 6 P.M.
Postponed
Postponed* | 7A | St. Rita vs. Brother Rice
Postponed* | 8A | Mount Carmel vs. Oswego