Which areas of this state really care about HS football?

[EdgyTim]

A popular question on other state's boards....here?

Admittedly I'll suggest my own area (Joliet area) as one of the top HS football areas week in and week out. You can still see pretty filled stadiums week in and week out in a relatively close area...lots of coverage (radio/papers/web/stream) and just a strong area both from a team standpoint and fan support.

Others?

Always impressed with the Naperville area and also impressed past 5-7 years with Fox Valley area.

 

[eagles2k3]

South side of Chicago, 618, northwest Illinois(small school football..dakotas and forrestons come to mind) west suburban Catholics, Chicago Catholics, fox valley, far west suburbs(Geneva, Batavia), lake county. I would say the most rabid fan base is by far the Catholic schools.

 

[woody6]

Although fervent pockets still exist, the trajectory seems downward in general. The ongoing emergence of lacrosse and fears of head/spine trauma continue to take a toll among many populations.

 

[Bourne4this]

Which areas of the state don't?

 

[i011763]

I've been spending some time in Springfield lately, they are pretty fired up about their football here

 

[UlbKA91]

As for areas that do not, I offer the area bounded by 31st Street on the south, Harlem\Waukegan Rd on the East, lake-cook on the north and 53/i-355 to the west. Maine South, Monty, Naz, IC and NDCP are the exceptions in this area.

 

[epicbret]

Lake Zurich

 

[ignazio]

Not Naperville, specifically the north part.

They're all about academics now I hear.

 

[Southland Fan 2016]

Southland.

 

[capnbillhitters]

There is a little village in the Western Suburbs

 

[Gene K.]

There is a little village in the Western Suburbs

There are several little villages in the Western suburbs that love their high school football!

 

[jwarigaku]

I keep hearing about the Western burbs loving High school football so much...tell me why two schools playing on a Friday night with enrollments of 2500-4500 can't consistently put 10k in the stands?

There are several little villages in the Western suburbs that love their high school football!

 

[pjjp]

I keep hearing about the Western burbs loving High school football so much...tell me why two schools playing on a Friday night with enrollments of 2500-4500 can't consistently put 10k in the stands?

Dupage County has terrible traffic.

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

Fox Valley - Cary, PR get my vote

 

[Voodoo Tatum 21]

I keep hearing about the Western burbs loving High school football so much...tell me why two schools playing on a Friday night with enrollments of 2500-4500 can't consistently put 10k in the stands?

Two words: "Stadium capacity".

No schools in the area have a capacity anywhere close to 10k.

The closest to that capacity is North Central College. I have been to a high school game at North Central that probably had close to 10k at the game with seating in the endZones.

 

[jwarigaku]

Voodoo,

I get that for sure, but even if they built it they couldn't fill it, which is crazy with the size of the schools enrollment alone. Add in the local community and the support is poor overall.

Two words: "Stadium capacity".

No schools in the area have a capacity anywhere close to 10k.

The closest to that capacity is North Central College. I have been to a high school game at North Central that probably had close to 10k at the game with seating in the endZones.

 

[Voodoo Tatum 21]

Voodoo,

I get that for sure, but even if they built it they couldn't fill it, which is crazy with the size of the schools enrollment alone. Add in the local community and the support is poor overall.

For day in and day out games (non rivalry and non playoff games) yeah I agree with you - no way they fill 10k a week.

But I would also say that would be true across much of the state. This isn't Texas,but it's also not Montana or Alaska either!!!

I have been pretty impressed with the Friday nite turnouts at the games I have been to in Illinois. Also I haven't seen any other HS sport draw anywhere close to the number of fans at football games (but that is true in every state I have watched a HS football game and also other sporting events such as basketball, baseball etc).

 

[jwarigaku]

I hear what you're saying just have gotten spoiled back here in PA. This winter got to follow Lonnie Walker on the hoops side and was surprised the draw at every game he played. He may go to a local rival for hoops but gotta respect the way his school travels, they sold out every game of the season Home and away and in the county championship sold out the Santander Arena(7100 seats) in 3 hours. State title game also sold out 10,500 seat in hours. With most schools in this area averaging less than 1000 enrollment and having no issue packing the stadiums Friday nights the support is either better or perhaps there's just nothing better to do than enjoy the simple life.

For day in and day out games (non rivalry and non playoff games) yeah I agree with you - no way they fill 10k a week.

But I would also say that would be true across much of the state. This isn't Texas,but it's also not Montana or Alaska either!!!

I have been pretty impressed with the Friday nite turnouts at the games I have been to in Illinois. Also I haven't seen any other HS sport draw anywhere close to the number of fans at football games (but that is true in every state I have watched a HS football game and also other sporting events such as basketball, baseball etc).

 

[Voodoo Tatum 21]

I hear what you're saying just have gotten spoiled back here in PA. This winter got to follow Lonnie Walker on the hoops side and was surprised the draw at every game he played. He may go to a local rival for hoops but gotta respect the way his school travels, they sold out every game of the season Home and away and in the county championship sold out the Santander Arena(7100 seats) in 3 hours. State title game also sold out 10,500 seat in hours. With most schools in this area averaging less than 1000 enrollment and having no issue packing the stadiums Friday nights the support is either better or perhaps there's just nothing better to do than enjoy the simple life.

I lived in Cleveland for 3 years in 2002 - 2005 and know HS Football is at a different level of furver in Ohio and Pennsylvania (Pittsburg area at least)

Basically in my opinion:
1 Texas is a level beyond any state
2 Ohio and Pennsylvania are next but way back of Texas.
3. Illinois is up in the upper quartile of the rest of the states.
4 west coast WA/OR/CA behind IL

Now I have only lived in 5 states as an Adult (Washington, Oregon, California, Ohio, Illinois,) so my sample size is small from the HS football I have seen first hand,....but I have friends that live in Texas and the pics I have seen, the stadiums they have, and what they say, lead me to believe Texas supports HS football beyond anything I have seen personally.

 

[ClownBaby]

I hear what you're saying just have gotten spoiled back here in PA. This winter got to follow Lonnie Walker on the hoops side and was surprised the draw at every game he played. He may go to a local rival for hoops but gotta respect the way his school travels, they sold out every game of the season Home and away and in the county championship sold out the Santander Arena(7100 seats) in 3 hours. State title game also sold out 10,500 seat in hours. With most schools in this area averaging less than 1000 enrollment and having no issue packing the stadiums Friday nights the support is either better or perhaps there's just nothing better to do than enjoy the simple life.

Stop lying about Pennsylvania football my entire family went to Pittsburgh Central Catholic so I go and see them play yearly when I go in for the Steelers game and the crowds there are no bigger then here. I saw a nationally top 10 PCC team play defending champ Pine Richland who one of the top players in America and there was 5000 people there last year.

As for the PIAA championship series they draw pretty comparable to IHSA, the 2013 championships drew 18,876 people total to 4 games and the 2014 games drew 10,700, neither of those is close to the sell out of 10,500 you claim and not to mention since they have gone to the 6 class system it has hurt per game attendance.

 

[woody6]

I lived in Cleveland for 3 years in 2002 - 2005 and know HS Football is at a different level of furver in Ohio and Pennsylvania (Pittsburg area at least)

Basically in my opinion:
1 Texas is a level beyond any state
2 Ohio and Pennsylvania are next but way back of Texas.
3. Illinois is up in the upper quartile of the rest of the states.
4 west coast WA/OR/CA behind IL

Now I have only lived in 5 states as an Adult (Washington, Oregon, California, Ohio, Illinois,) so my sample size is small from the HS football I have seen first hand,....but I have friends that live in Texas and the pics I have seen, the stadiums they have, and what they say, lead me to believe Texas supports HS football beyond anything I have seen personally.

Yes, sir, concerning your Texas ranking. As far back as 1969, some HS games were even televised. Also, Texas seems to have more latitude in terms of pay and teaching assignments (or lack thereof) for their staff, especially the head coach. Teaching contracts in IL appear to be less permissive with regard to coaching hiring conditions for those outside the "bargaining unit."

 

[jwarigaku]

Hey Clown,

The numbers I mentioned in the last post was hoops not football. Say what you want about the PCC crowds, I've seen more in Mansion Park than what you describe for football west regional. When PCC played PR it was a district or WPIAL championship.

Stop lying about Pennsylvania football my entire family went to Pittsburgh Central Catholic so I go and see them play yearly when I go in for the Steelers game and the crowds there are no bigger then here. I saw a nationally top 10 PCC team play defending champ Pine Richland who one of the top players in America and there was 5000 people there last year.

As for the PIAA championship series they draw pretty comparable to IHSA, the 2013 championships drew 18,876 people total to 4 games and the 2014 games drew 10,700, neither of those is close to the sell out of 10,500 you claim and not to mention since they have gone to the 6 class system it has hurt per game attendance.

 

[jsoulis]

Lived in Texas for 8 years. Still have friends there. High School 5A Championship game drew 42,000 this year! Also, all junior highs have teams. When we were there, my son played in JR Championship that had close to 5,000. Just on a complete different level of fanatics over there.

 

[Gene K.]

I keep hearing about the Western burbs loving High school football so much...tell me why two schools playing on a Friday night with enrollments of 2500-4500 can't consistently put 10k in the stands?

There is so much going on in the greater Chicagoland area on Fridays and Saturdays that students and parents are often caught in a dilemma of figuring out which event they want to go to. The games I have gone to in Northern Illinois are well attended especially at the smaller school level. Depending on which team is playing, playoffs games are usually well attended also.

 

[JCHILLTOPPERS]

Two words: "Stadium capacity".

No schools in the area have a capacity anywhere close to 10k.

The closest to that capacity is North Central College. I have been to a high school game at North Central that probably had close to 10k at the game with seating in the endZones.

JCA stadium has a 10k capacity, 5 per side. for a few games vs PC, MC, and morris, it has filled it and brought in extra stands.

 

[Voodoo Tatum 21]

JCA stadium has a 10k capacity, 5 per side. for a few games vs PC, MC, and morris, it has filled it and brought in extra stands.

Yup! And it's nice! Same stadium they held the Minooka SmithStrong track meet in a couple of weeks ago?

But for purposes of my stadium size comment -I was replying to Jwar's perception of the lack of support in the Western Burbs to mean roughly the Oakbrook/Naperville/Aurora corridor off of I-88 based on his school size metric of 2500 to 4500 and I know of no stadium in the Corridor that can house 10k without additional temp stands in the endzone in a stadium like North Central for example. If there is one - I haven't heard of it nor been in it!!