The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show returns to Comcast SportsNet Chicago for its fifth season in 2015. Comcast SportsNet Chicago, the television home for the most games and the most comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox, will produce the show in HD when it airs live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 24.
The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show, which will reveal the brackets and first round match-ups of all 256 playoff qualifiers across eight classes, can also be viewed via live interactive stream on the internet at
IHSA.tv and
CSNChicago.com.
"The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show continues to be one of the most highly-anticipated events in the state of Illinois and we couldn't be prouder to showcase two-straight hours of live, interactive coverage to our on-air and online viewers on Saturday night," said Phil Bedella, VP/GM of Comcast SportsNet Chicago. "This show is the perfect precursor to kick off our IHSA Football season, which includes four live playoff battles, along with live coverage of all eight championship match-ups."
CSN anchor Kelly Crull returns to host the show and will be joined by a panel of experts on-set, including long-time IHSA TV announcer Dave Bernhard and Kankakee Daily Journal sportswriter and Illinois high school football bracketologist Steve Soucie. IHSA TV veteran and Rockford WTVO reporter Matt Rodewald will breakdown each class with media members from around the state, including CSN prep football expert “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran. Viewers are encouraged to interact with the show and ask questions to be answered during the program by utilizing the Twitter hashtag
#IHSAbrackets.
The program will once again feature highlights, coach interviews and media analysis from all over the state. In addition, CSN camera crews will be roaming the “Land of Lincoln” Saturday catching live reactions from school playoff pairing parties.
“This is a highly anticipated evening all over the state and CSN has helped capture the aura around it,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “CSN has taken viewers from the annual Aquin chili cookoff in Freeport to the Tri-Valley team gathering at the fire station in Downs. Communities around the state will be celebrating the accomplishments of their student-athletes and coaches on Saturday, while dreaming about playing in DeKalb on Thanksgiving weekend.”
Saturday’s show also serves as a precursor for the exciting IHSA Football Playoff action that CSN will carry throughout the 2015 postseason. CSN will air one playoff game live during each of the first four rounds of the playoffs (Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21), building up to CSN carrying the eight state championship games live on Friday and Saturday, November 27-28.
The pairings show will be distributed to Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s entire viewing territory. Viewers are urged to visit
CSNChicago.com to find the
exact channel locations in their area.