IHSA Announcements

October 18, 1999

1999 Football Playoff Title Games Move to Champaign

The 1999 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Championship Games will be played in Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois, it was announced Monday (Oct. 18).

The six games will be played the weekend of Friday-Saturday, Nov. 26-27. Classes 1A-3A will be played Friday and Classes 4A-6A will be played Saturday.

Announcement of the change in location of the games from Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University, where they have been since their inception in 1974, was made jointly Monday by IHSA Executive Director Dave Fry, Illinois State University Athletic Director Perk Weisenburger and University of Illinois Associate Athletic Director Dana Brenner.

The change in sites is being made to allow Illinois State University the opportunity to host an NCAA Division 1-AA on the same weekend if it is offered the invitation by the NCAA.

Fry said that the IHSA was more than willing to cooperate with Illinois State University in moving the games to a different site, and that the IHSA greatly appreciated the willingness of both the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University to serve as this year's alternate site.

"We can fully appreciate the wishes of those involved with the football program at Illinois State to host a first round playoff game on their home field," Fry said. "It is something that has not happened before, and IHSA wishes the Redbirds great success in securing an NCAA playoff bid this year. We also want to thank the athletic departments at both Northern Illinois University and the University of Illinois for doing all the legwork necessary to be in a position to host the 1999 IHSA Playoff Championship Games."

Fry said final arrangements will be worked out by the Fighting Illini Athletic Department staff and the IHSA staff and that the target date for distributing information regarding the change in sites will be Saturday night, Oct. 23, when the IHSA announces the 1999 Playoff Pairings.