IHSA finalizes state title football game schedule, will play Class 8A/7A games on Wednesday at NIU

The Illinois High School Association finalized plans for all the postponed state championship football games. The Class 8A (Mount Carmel vs. Oswego) and Class 7A (Brother Rice vs. St. Rita) games will be played at Northern Illinois’ Huskie Stadium on Wednesday.

The Class 7A game is scheduled for 3 p.m., with the 8A game following at 6.

“We are incredibly thankful to NIU, the Huskie Athletic Department, and the DeKalb community for welcoming back the IHSA Football State Finals on short notice,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a statement. “We had a wonderful state final experience in DeKalb over the course of a decade and have a relationship of hosting IHSA State Series events on campus that dates back even further. NIU’s partnership with the IHSA and support of high school student-athletes in Illinois has proven to be second to none.”

The IHSA announced Friday night that the postponed Class 6A and Class 5A state championship football games will be played Tuesday at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium. The Class 5A game (Providence vs. St. Francis) is scheduled for 3 p.m., with the Class 6A game (Fenwick vs. East St. Louis) following at 6.

“Illinois State was committed to hosting all eight state championship games if possible, but could not host the 7A and 8A title games until Thursday due to a scheduling conflict on Wednesday,” Anderson said. “We did not want to further impact the schedules and routines of our competing teams, so NIU’s willingness to step up, especially given the geography of the competing teams, made this an easy decision.”

The IHSA was forced to postpone the games when Illinois State closed its campus Saturday because of the anticipated snowstorm.

“The postponement of the IHSA Football State Finals is unprecedented in the state playoffs 51-year history,” Anderson said in a statement Friday. “All of the competing teams in Class 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A have been alerted that their state championship games will not be played on November 29, but that they will be played in the coming days.

“We appreciate the patience and understanding of these schools and communities as we work to determine the best and safest solution to rescheduling these contests and crowning state champions in our four largest classes.”

Here is the new schedule.

Tuesday, Dec. 2

At Illinois State's Hancock Stadium

Class 5A: St. Francis vs. Providence, 3 p.m.

Class 6A: Fenwick vs. East St. Louis, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 3

At Northern Illinois' Huskie Stadium

Class 7A: Brother Rice vs. St. Rita, 3 p.m.

Class 8A: Oswego vs. Mount Carmel, 6 p.m.