Many decades ago, the State high school organization sponsored two sports, boys basketball and boys track. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has grown in its vision and in the number of sports in which it holds State tournaments. With the Fall season this year, the IHSA will move to its 32nd State tournament series with girls flag football which will be held October 18-19 (Friday and Saturday) at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park to begin a three-year contract. With the 32nd sport for the IHSA to hold a State series we understand participation is part of the process.
The IHSA at the end of this school year made other ground-breaking announcements this week for participation:
•The shot clock, used in both college and professionally, will be implemented universally in varsity high school basketball with the 2026-2027 school year. Previously, shot clocks were used at some holiday basketball tournaments and a few other games. Acceptance, for the most part has been good. The 35-second shot clock will be required to be used at both the boys and girls State series. To start, the shot clock will be used only by agreement at the lower levels of competition of games for freshman, sophomore, and junior varsity. It’s a worthy experiment and a fact of life.
•Bass fishing State finals, after 15 years at Carlyle Lake, will be moved in 2025, to Lake Shelbyville and overseen by Shelbyville High School, the city government of Shelbyville, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
•Basketball tournaments will continue to be played by classes and all classes will be played on the same weekend.
•Willowbrook High School previously has held girls flag football programs. “The Willowbrook, High School team, coaching staff, and administration have been a model program in girls flag football,” said IHSA executive director Craig Anderson, “so it seems fitting that they will serve as the host of the inaugural State finals.”
Prior to the IHSA starting a State flag football series, the Chicago Bears, in Lake Forest were host to a girls flag football State championship tournament which was won by Willowbrook in 2022.
“As one of few pioneers of girls flag football in Illinois, we are thrilled to host the first IHSA State championship at Willowbrook High School,” said Rachel Karos, Willowbrook girls flag football head coach…we are excited to provide an experience that promotes inclusion, access, diversity, and equity for female athletes in Illinois.”
Tackle football for boys became an IHSA-sponsored playoff in 1974 with six divisions. Now the playoffs have grown to eight divisions to include 32 teams in each of the eight divisions. The spectator attendance draws are strong.
Other sports among the 32 State tournaments include, but not exclusively, include, baseball, girls and boys volleyball, girls and boys soccer, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys golf, girls and boys lacrosse.
•Bears in Aurora? The question was raised Tuesday this week when it was revealed that Aurora mayor Richard Irvin visited with Chicago Bears president and CEO, Kevin Warren. The Bears want a new stadium.