NORMAL (25News Now) – State high school football championship games are this weekend in Normal, bringing tens of thousands of people to the town.
The Illinois High School Association is celebrating its 50th year hosting the football state championship games. It’s the second year the games are back at Illinois State University after the IHSA took a 25-year break from Hancock Stadium.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said the contracts call for the state finals to stay in the Twin Cities for at least three more years.
“We have our offices here in Bloomington, so it’s really a convenience for us, and a convenience for our member schools in terms of travel. We have some teams coming from the South, and teams coming from the North and meeting here to culminate this championship season,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the Bloomington Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) helps the IHSA rent the stadium with the travel dollars it gets from the state.
With 16 teams participating, the CVB estimates nearly 24,000 spectators will walk through the gates. The IHSA splits the ticket sales with ISU, but the university gets all of the money from concessions.
According to the CVB, Bloomington-Normal should draw nearly $1.8 million by hosting the games.
“People are going to restaurants, and they’re going to get gas, and they’re staying in hotels while they’re here, so all of that is definitely positive for the economy of the local area,” said Anderson.
Tickets are $15 per person at the gate or $17 online. Four title games are scheduled on Saturday with the first contest at 10 a.m., and the last at 7 p.m.
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