All..... Does the Ihsa get a monster cut of gate receipts like the regular playoffs. Or nothing. Maybe whoever proposed this wants the Ihsa to make a "sharing" deal. Who knows..... Ratsy
I'm sure they get something but the attendance to the Prep Bowl play in games is extremely small, especially with the visiting teams, pretty much just the parents, so they may make a a couple hundred bucks off it tops. The actual Prep Bowl Championship game brings in a moderate crowd at best. It's held normally the day after Thanksgiving so many have Turkey hangovers, it's the parents, so die hard alums who are football enthusiasts and a handful of students. This obviously differs from school to school but my point is the money the IHSA may make off the Prep Bowl gates is definitely in the three figure range.
Am I mistaken or doesn’t every school have the right to practice until Thanksgiving weekend? I may be wrong but I think I remember this being discussed before. I think I remember hearing that most schools don’t practice to allow the athletes to recover and move on to winter sports.
Yes!!! I stated that & the other schools said well why would we do that? I said so since you don’t want to other schools shouldn’t?
I wouldn’t assume that there are a ton of downstate schools that will vote for it and I would assume the suburban CCL teams that don’t participate in the Prep Bowl would also vote for this. Why would you give teams that you are going to teams you play against in your conference extra reps to improve. The real wild card is how CPS schools vote or if they even vote.
I just think most schools will realize there is no harm in this continuing and does not give a distinct advantage to the schools that participated in it the following season. These are schools that didn't qualify for the State Playoffs or had a first round loss. I just can't see a team in September saying they lost because their opponent played in a Prep Bowl game 9 months earlier and it gave them an advantage, I can't even imagine that would cross their mind to think that. I just think most schools won't see the harm in this and let the century old tradition continue.
It’s always about money. I am sure the IHSA doesn’t like it because they don’t get a cut of the gate, concessions etc. it’s weird that the Prep Bowl has been around forever and some how they decide this it the year to try to shut it down. I never cared for the Prep Bowl. That said I don’t have a problem with it being played because as others have said they grew up with it and it’s been tradition for some. I don’t like that the IHSA is trying to impose it will to shut it down.
It’s a huge advantage you are able to bring up underclassmen and incorporate them into your program while evaluating them. There is reason schools like LWE bring up kids for the playoffs when they don’t need the numbers at practice.
St Laurence last year went 3-6 in 2022 advanced 2 weeks in the Prep Bowl then lost the State Championship in 2023. They have good chance to advance this year.
Last year BR didn’t play in the Prep Bowl and a bunch of BR/ CCL posters ripped their coaches for not using the Prep Bowl as a way to prepare for 2024. But now this those same posters at the threat of losing it say it’s no advantage. Which is it? Could you guys get your story straight?
