Should Semifinal Games be at Neutral Sites?
- Thread starter DJrodey24
- Start date
Tough one. Trying to understand why 11-1 PR is visiting 10-2 Deerfield though. Probably best because PR’s field is unplayable but that would be a good example of a neutral site in more ways than one.
It is because the arcane IHSA rule that the team that has hosted a least number of games, hosts the next round. If the number is tied, then it goes to the higher seed.
PR has hosted 3 games, Deerfield just two.
And you guys need turf.
I wouldn't mind semifinal games being played at neutral sites. I know it's a pipe dream, but since Rita has rented its field for other schools, the south side of Chicago would be a great place to host a game or two. However, the stands need to similar to Gately for that to happen.
It’s not that complicated it doesn’t have to be some fancy neutral site.. why couldn’t MC and Willowbrook play at Elmhurst York or OPRF. Nazareth and RM at Stevenson, etc. Hate to reference Texas every time BUT in Texas EVERY playoff round/game is at a neutral site and they have 64 team brackets so that’s a lot more games to move.
The issue here in Illinois is that most visitor side stands are very small. That is not the norm in Texas.
It is also one of the advantages of hosting a semifinal game in Illinois. The seating is limited for the visiting team, thus many fans, who don't want to stand, will opt to stay home.
OMG, not debating people’s bleachers with you on a case by case basis I was just throwing out area HS fields that were in accessible locations as examples. LT is that better? You pick them I’m just saying it wouldn’t be complicated. It doesn’t have to be Gately or some other unique stadium.
By the time you are in the semifinals you are down to 16 games in the whole state. I think you could identify enough places with sufficient bleachers to do it. Play 2 games at gately (if you must), 2 games at Joliet memorial stadium, and identify some other HS with decent size visitor sections.
In a perfect world, IHSA would have two games at neutral fields with Turf.
Think about it, Host team can make some money now since the $30..I mean $9 IHSA charges you to watch your own son will have 4 teams playing there instead of only two.
Then you can stick around and watch a second game, or come early to see one. Also, may bring more fans to watch the finals games incase you enjoyed watching the other team/game, you may stick around or come early to see the other team play at NIU/ U of I.
16 semi games, would only need 8 sites.
Imagine if you were able to get U of I, Northwestern, ISU, and U Of I to each host two games on Sat and Sunday?
If one can't do it, pick another college.
Think about it, Host team can make some money now since the $30..I mean $9 IHSA charges you to watch your own son will have 4 teams playing there instead of only two.
Then you can stick around and watch a second game, or come early to see one. Also, may bring more fans to watch the finals games incase you enjoyed watching the other team/game, you may stick around or come early to see the other team play at NIU/ U of I.
16 semi games, would only need 8 sites.
Imagine if you were able to get U of I, Northwestern, ISU, and U Of I to each host two games on Sat and Sunday?
If one can't do it, pick another college.
Can’t due Sunday but you could play 2 games on Friday and 2 on saturday and literally only need 4 sites.
5a 2 games Friday at gately
6a 2 games Saturday at gately
7a 2 games Friday at Joliet stadium
8a 2 games Saturday at Joliet stadium
That’s half right there now get 2 sites for 1a-4a.... would say lane stadium would work but for 1a-4a probably need to use a more downstate location.
You need to pick places the community and families would want to come out and watch.
Good luck with getting families from the North driving out to watch at Gatley.
People like you are the ones who make this stuff not happen... there is never going to be a perfect solution for everyone. Swap lane stadium for gately... does that work? Some how the well heeled folks of the west suburbs braved gately last year when Nazareth and Simeon played
Why would anyone suggest gately? It's a nightmare when games are stacked, sometimes a public school team loses to a private in the playoffs in 2018 and stays in the locker room far past their time so the next team has to change outside.
It's so boring of a stadium, secruity sucks, and I'm guessing the city is not giving up concessions to the home team.
The travel and playing different places I think is what's great about the playoffs. Going into a hostile environment and winning is a wonderful thing.
It's so boring of a stadium, secruity sucks, and I'm guessing the city is not giving up concessions to the home team.
The travel and playing different places I think is what's great about the playoffs. Going into a hostile environment and winning is a wonderful thing.
But you would miss the rollercoasters
People like you are the ones who make this stuff not happen... there is never going to be a perfect solution for everyone. Swap lane stadium for gately... does that work? Some how the well healed folks of the west suburbs braved gately last year when Nazareth and Simeon played
Now you are being a jack ass. It's not about "well healed folks" of the west suburbs...its about about drawing communities in to watch too, the parents will come,pal. Naz was what, 30 mins from Gatley, maybe 45 min tops depending on the expressway traffic. Besides, wasn't Naz given sideline passes to get more people there? Point being, 5 & 6 A are not anywhere around where Gatley is located. You want to be somewhat centrally neutral or play at a "Big time" location where the feeder program kids would want to come and see (NIU/Northwestern/Soldier Field/NIU/ISU..ect)....
So your "Brilliant Plan" would be
Saturday:
PR vs Deerfield
ESL vs Chatham at Gatley
Eastside has a 6 hour commute, and gets to pass Chatham on their way in...maybe they can car pool together since they still have 3 hours to go when they pass Chatham on 55. Hope that is the later game. May only have to grill 1 pack of Gatley dawgs...
then,
While PR travels well, Gatley is a two hour commute for them, about the same for Deerfield. Have fun kids, btw, no tailgating....
Your Friday night schedule, other than St Rita, would be the same ship show...
Rochester is 3 to 3.5 hours away, don't even know where the school they are playing is other than I'm sure it's even more South....
Rockford Boylan, about 2.5 hours as well...without rush hour traffic.
Huge crowds await...
8 spots, Neutral locations, 2 games at each on Saturday. Use colleges if availible first, followed by good HS stadiums by or near expressways..
No, they have 115 Bourbon St. Even better than roller coasters
FYI you’re not going to get consistent access to college stadiums as their season goes through to the state championship weekend. So that will be a non starter. Hey I was the one who said use regular run of the mill HS stadiums and I got flack for not enough seating in visitor side of those stadiums. Gately was an example of a stadium with equal seating. But any one is fine with me. I hate gately.
And if a neutral site game may be 5 hours drive on a rare occasion it’s no different if ESL drives here to play at a neutral field or the home field of their opponent or if the opponent has to drive to ESL from Chicagoland. You will have occasional outliers but most big schools are north. And I mentioned playing the smaller levels in more central Illinois.
Wesleyan and ISU are only a mile apart and both have turf. Each could host 4 games on Friday and 4 on Saturday. All 32 teams would have to travel though. Don't see high school administrators buying into that.
Iowa, not Texas this time.... Iowa.... plays their semifinal round and championship games in the UNI dome. So teams are missing school during the week and traveling to the UNI dome to play on back to back weeks. What makes illinois admins so high and mighty?
Oh, how I wish I knew how to insert a “TRIGGERED” gif into a forum post...
Do you have a safe space? Need a gif of a comfort animal?
It was you who would be getting mocked for being triggered in said gif... not me. Just to clarify if you thought I was suggesting I was triggered... it was you. I don’t need safe spaces... I mean heck I’ve been to gately, after that I’m ready to walk point in Nam baby. (Disclaimer: no stolen valor intended by this post, all respect to veterans.)
I said check colleges first. ISU is dying to get IHSA football. If they are on the road, I promise you, they have 1 location filled. NIU, I know they have other high school games there already. U of I and NW maybe different, but who knows.
Occasional outliers? Just admit your Gatley "example" for 5 & 6 A was bad and move on.....Two of your teams playing each other are over are not going to travel to watch. When ESL plays on the road, there is still a "home" team filling the stands. 2 "road teams" at Gatley, will look worse than Guarenteed Rate field in April. Remember, for those levels, 1 team will always be from the "South".
Not about missing school. All about $$$ for player + student body transportation.
Bruh. I didn’t put any thought into which classes I was assigning to Joliet or gately or even if gately or Joliet stadium were the best options... main point in that post was showing the scheduling could be done in a way (Friday/Saturday, 2 games each) that allowed all 16 games to be played in just 4 venues in 2 consecutive days by playing just 2 games a day... because others were talking about trying to play 4 games on a field in one day like the state games... and that wouldn’t be necessary.
LMFAO..so, I was "triggered" and would be mocked...for calling you a jackass? Long weekend to start drinking this early. You must "trigger" alot of people.
Naz posse is so woke
Oh, how I wish I knew how to insert a “TRIGGERED” gif into a forum post...
I don't know, his points are salient.
Bruh, I don't see a disclaimer stating that you didn't put thought into your post....or that you were just posting pointless shit. Usually, most people put some thought into what they post.
Now take a moment, put the beer down.
Your main point was you'd have 5/6A at Gatley, 7/8A at Joliet, in the post I commented on.
-I pointed out "Good luck getting North teams to travel to Gatley" I should have said, anyone outside Chicago Southside.
-You, wrongly imply racism or us North Suburban people are afraid of Gately, but not you, West Suburban NAZ Posse fans, you abide. Fear nothing outside Samson Evans.
-I point out, using just this years match ups why your plan is, well, not thought out and pretty bad. Yeah, ESL/Chatham made it look even worse...
-You get triggered....no, wait, I am told I am triggered..
-I politely offer you a dog gif to pet.
-You get upset...I mean, YOU have been to Gatley, so you are obviously woke. *I now look for gif of dog I need to pet*
-Now, you didn't mean Gatley or Joliet after you see how bad your plan looks....
Yep, it is I who gonna get mocked at the next Naz rally.
You expect people to drive all the way from ESL or the far north suburbs to Lincoln way north.....(sarcasm... since Trojan fox is appalled at anything and everything.)
You put way too much thought it truly pointless posts. In the playoffs people have to drive across the state sometimes. In the current model st Charles east had to drive to Edwardsville in a round 1 game.... I’m pretty sure people are even more understanding of it by the semifinal round. There is no getting around the travel angle. If you put it in the middle of the state for semifinals and ESL isn’t involved that year (since we apparently have to make all plans for their convenience) you might have prairie ridge and Cary grove having to both drive to say Bloomington just to play a game against each other. How ridiculous would that be. The better solution is you don’t have a set location and you wait to see who is playing and you find an appropriate location based on that. If it were CG and PR maybe you play at Barrington HS or something. If it’s PR and ESL then you meet in central Illinois.
