Stadium Options for Championships

[ScottieKnows]

In the event football is able to crown 8 champions at the end of the season. Have the 8 games at 8 different sites. Here's some great smaller school stadiums in Illinois.

8A- Joliet Memorial Stadium, Joliet (10,000 capacity)
7A- North Central College, Naperville (5,500 capacity)
6A- Augustana College, Rock Island (6,500 capacity)
5A- College of Dupage, Wheaton (5,000 capacity)
4A- Knox College, Galesburg (6,000 capacity)
3A- Milliken University, Decatur (4,000 capacity)
2A- Illinois Wesleyan, Normal (3,500 capacity)
1A- Quincy University, Quincy (2,500 capacity)

 

[MC63]

In the event football is able to crown 8 champions at the end of the season. Have the 8 games at 8 different sites. Here's some great smaller school stadiums in Illinois.

8A- Joliet Memorial Stadium, Joliet (10,000 capacity)
7A- North Central College, Naperville (5,500 capacity)
6A- Augustana College, Rock Island (6,500 capacity)
5A- College of Dupage, Wheaton (5,000 capacity)
4A- Knox College, Galesburg (6,000 capacity)
3A- Milliken University, Decatur (4,000 capacity)
2A- Illinois Wesleyan, Normal (3,500 capacity)
1A- Quincy University, Quincy (2,500 capacity)

Gately seats 10,000 and it's not in a far-flung suburb

 

[ScottieKnows]

Gately seats 10,000 and it's not in a far-flung suburb

Yes! I like it. If we don't have a big university....we have plenty of great football stadiums in this state. Some very unique ones that would provide a great experience for the kids and fans.

 

[colin2229]

If Knox sits 6,000....5,500 are sitting on a blanket on a hill.

Cool set up but the size of a 1A programs stadium.

 

[PowerI66]

In the event football is able to crown 8 champions at the end of the season. Have the 8 games at 8 different sites. Here's some great smaller school stadiums in Illinois.

8A- Joliet Memorial Stadium, Joliet (10,000 capacity)
7A- North Central College, Naperville (5,500 capacity)
6A- Augustana College, Rock Island (6,500 capacity)
5A- College of Dupage, Wheaton (5,000 capacity)
4A- Knox College, Galesburg (6,000 capacity)
3A- Milliken University, Decatur (4,000 capacity)
2A- Illinois Wesleyan, Normal (3,500 capacity)
1A- Quincy University, Quincy (2,500 capacity)

Am I missing something? Why would they have a game at Illinois Wesleyan over ISU?

 

[No Bias---Just Reality]

If Knox sits 6,000....5,500 are sitting on a blanket on a hill.

Cool set up but the size of a 1A programs stadium.

And College of DuPage is only 5,000 if people are just standing around the field and track. It has home side only bleachers with no visitor side. And the bleacher size is average.

 

[johnndoe]

Gately seats 10,000 and it's not in a far-flung suburb

Too dangerous driving these days on the Dan Ryan, I-57 and recently, the Bishop Ford to get to Gately.

 

[Crispy Linnetta]

Gately seats 10,000 and it's not in a far-flung suburb

And is also located in the middle of a shooting gallery. Give me Joliet Memorial Stadium any day.

 

[crusader_of_90]

"Well, what about the Astrodome?"

 

[CCLer]

Is Toyota Park still open? Perfect venue for HS Football. Held a few games there about 10 years ago.

 

[McCaravan]

Is Toyota Park still open? Perfect venue for HS Football. Held a few games there about 10 years ago.

It’s grass though so if it rains...

 

[William Foster]

"Well, what about the Astrodome?"

 

[mc140]

Too dangerous driving these days on the Dan Ryan, I-57 and recently, the Bishop Ford to get to Gately.

I kind of missed being searched for weapons to see a football game last year.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

I'm still working under the assumption that football and wrestling will not get past level 3, so they can have regional games but not a full blown state tournament. This concept could go with the 4 (32 team) or 8 (64 team per class) regional class titles...more sites could even be added...

SIUC - southern Illinois titles
WIU - western Illinois titles
EIU - eastern Illinois titles
NIU - northwestern Illinois titles
ISU - central Illinois titles
Illinois Memorial - south suburban titles
Soldier Field - city titles
Northwestern - north suburban titles

There might be multiple regional titles at the same facility for the same class - i.e. SIU might not have 7A & 8A but 2 1A & 2A, while Northwestern might not have 1A & 2A...

The excitement of far more teams playing in a major stadium could somewhat make up for lack of a complete state title playoff. (Wilmington the year after winning 3A got to play hoops at the United Center...for kids on both squads the experience is similarly memorable). Now, the problem may be if we have 64 regional titles that we run out of "impressive" sites...for example, Olivet (former Bears camp) has a nice stadium, but Bradley's stadium a couple blocks away has a much larger capacity...

 

[Formicidae13]

I'm still working under the assumption that football and wrestling will not get past level 3, so they can have regional games but not a full blown state tournament. This concept could go with the 4 (32 team) or 8 (64 team per class) regional class titles...more sites could even be added...

SIUC - southern Illinois titles
WIU - western Illinois titles
EIU - eastern Illinois titles
NIU - northwestern Illinois titles
ISU - central Illinois titles
Illinois Memorial - south suburban titles
Soldier Field - city titles
Northwestern - north suburban titles

There might be multiple regional titles at the same facility for the same class - i.e. SIU might not have 7A & 8A but 2 1A & 2A, while Northwestern might not have 1A & 2A...

The excitement of far more teams playing in a major stadium could somewhat make up for lack of a complete state title playoff. (Wilmington the year after winning 3A got to play hoops at the United Center...for kids on both squads the experience is similarly memorable). Now, the problem may be if we have 64 regional titles that we run out of "impressive" sites...for example, Olivet (former Bears camp) has a nice stadium, but Bradley's stadium a couple blocks away has a much larger capacity...

I like this set up a lot

 

[JCHillmen]

And is also located in the middle of a shooting gallery. Give me Joliet Memorial Stadium any day.

Capacity is 8,000 max at Gately too, nowhere near 10k. Not a bad place to play, but location makes it tough to sell.

 

[missingwalter]

I'm still working under the assumption that football and wrestling will not get past level 3, so they can have regional games but not a full blown state tournament. This concept could go with the 4 (32 team) or 8 (64 team per class) regional class titles...more sites could even be added...

SIUC - southern Illinois titles
WIU - western Illinois titles
EIU - eastern Illinois titles
NIU - northwestern Illinois titles
ISU - central Illinois titles
Illinois Memorial - south suburban titles
Soldier Field - city titles
Northwestern - north suburban titles

There might be multiple regional titles at the same facility for the same class - i.e. SIU might not have 7A & 8A but 2 1A & 2A, while Northwestern might not have 1A & 2A...

The excitement of far more teams playing in a major stadium could somewhat make up for lack of a complete state title playoff. (Wilmington the year after winning 3A got to play hoops at the United Center...for kids on both squads the experience is similarly memorable). Now, the problem may be if we have 64 regional titles that we run out of "impressive" sites...for example, Olivet (former Bears camp) has a nice stadium, but Bradley's stadium a couple blocks away has a much larger capacity...

I like it, what "region would the Western Suburbs be in?

 

[MC63]

Too dangerous driving these days on the Dan Ryan, I-57 and recently, the Bishop Ford to get to Gately.

I went to Gately for almost 60 years and never had a problem.

 

[johnndoe]

I went to Gately for almost 60 years and never had a problem.

As of about a week ago, 62 shootings on area expressways in 2020 including 41 alone on the Dan Ryan and I-57 combined. For each of the past 4 entire years, starting with 2019, there were: 52, 43, 51 and 54 expressway shootings. It seems to be getting worse.

 

[RockSoup]

As of about a week ago, 62 shootings on area expressways in 2020 including 41 alone on the Dan Ryan and I-57 combined. For each of the past 4 entire years, starting with 2019, there were: 52, 43, 51 and 54 expressway shootings. It seems to be getting worse.

Yeah, I’ve learned a long time ago, it’s more important to see where a person moves to (actions) over what someone says (words).

 

[SOUTHSIDECFD]

I'm still working under the assumption that football and wrestling will not get past level 3, so they can have regional games but not a full blown state tournament. This concept could go with the 4 (32 team) or 8 (64 team per class) regional class titles...more sites could even be added...

SIUC - southern Illinois titles
WIU - western Illinois titles
EIU - eastern Illinois titles
NIU - northwestern Illinois titles
ISU - central Illinois titles
Illinois Memorial - south suburban titles
Soldier Field - city titles
Northwestern - north suburban titles

There might be multiple regional titles at the same facility for the same class - i.e. SIU might not have 7A & 8A but 2 1A & 2A, while Northwestern might not have 1A & 2A...

The excitement of far more teams playing in a major stadium could somewhat make up for lack of a complete state title playoff. (Wilmington the year after winning 3A got to play hoops at the United Center...for kids on both squads the experience is similarly memorable). Now, the problem may be if we have 64 regional titles that we run out of "impressive" sites...for example, Olivet (former Bears camp) has a nice stadium, but Bradley's stadium a couple blocks away has a much larger capacity...

The Chicago bears and the Chicago Park District will NOT allow playoffs on Solider Field . They already chased the Prep Bowl away.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

The Chicago bears and the Chicago Park District will NOT allow playoffs on Solider Field . They already chased the Prep Bowl away.

Its an unusual year. True, the Bears and Park District evicted the Prep Bowl...but what might they think of a April set of games?

 

[crusader_of_90]

IHSA playoffs at Soldier Field would have no impact on the field for the season.

 

[tomloner]

IHSA playoffs at Soldier Field would have no impact on the field for the season.

They have nixed all high school games.

 

[LTHSALUM76]

Capacity is 8,000 max at Gately too, nowhere near 10k. Not a bad place to play, but location makes it tough to sell.

No question Joliet Memorial Stadium is a much better venue. You have a four lane road going to the park you enter and exit on, unless you take Infantry Drive. There is more than enough paved parking on the east and west sides of the stadium. There is plenty of seating on both sides. You are very close to I-80 and I-55 from that location. It's much roomier. There are places very nearby you can go to for food before or after the game.

As for the neighborhood comparison, there isn't one. Whenever I am leaving a game at the Stadium, I am usually thinking about the game, the multiple routes I can take to go home or to an establishment I feel confident I won't be shot in, very near the park. I can take my time leaving or I can hang around for a while till traffic slows. Whenever I leave Gatley, it's similar to leaving a White Sox or Hawks game. My thoughts are, I just want to get the hell out of there and onto the interstate and I want to be moving when I do get to the highway.

 

[crusader_of_90]

They have nixed all high school games.

They suck.

 

[cornerrat]

No question Joliet Memorial Stadium is a much better venue. You have a four lane road going to the park you enter and exit on, unless you take Infantry Drive. There is more than enough paved parking on the east and west sides of the stadium. There is plenty of seating on both sides. You are very close to I-80 and I-55 from that location. It's much roomier. There are places very nearby you can go to for food before or after the game.

As for the neighborhood comparison, there isn't one. Whenever I am leaving a game at the Stadium, I am usually thinking about the game, the multiple routes I can take to go home or to an establishment I feel confident I won't be shot in, very near the park. I can take my time leaving or I can hang around for a while till traffic slows. Whenever I leave Gatley, it's similar to leaving a White Sox or Hawks game. My thoughts are, I just want to get the hell out of there and onto the interstate and I want to be moving when I do get to the highway.

All.... Haven't been to JMS since 2011 another bonus is a "church" right next door for a little pregame attitude adjustment. Ratsy

 

[ScottieKnows]

"Well, what about the Astrodome?"

I always found that funny that the Texas high school coaches can just pick the Astrodome.

 

[MS4EVER]

I kind of missed being searched for weapons to see a football game last year.

Lol

Back in 2007 we played at Gately and security was top notch.

Security:Why do you have a screwdriver and pliers in your bag?
Me:I’m the equipment manager
Security:What do you use them for?
Me:To fix things
Security:Ok go ahead.

 

[BornNRazed]

They have nixed all high school games.

Not true. But Bears control the schedule once the NFL season starts

 

[tomloner]

Not true. But Bears control the schedule once the NFL season starts

As I said the park district nixed all high schools from playing football. SR played Taft at Gatley two years ago. Now if the play games in the spring the balls back in their court.