IHSA chooses NIU for football finals

Beginning in 2013 and continuing in odd years through 2021, Huskie Stadium on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb will be the host site for the eight title games. The games will remain at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium in Champaign in even years (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020).

The variation in schedule was necessitated by a change in the Big Ten Conference football schedule that will have Illinois playing home games on the IHSA state final weekend in odd years.

Morrison coach Cory Bielema, whose teams won state titles in 2009 and 2011, welcomed the change.

“With our experience, we did a good job of traveling,” Bielema said, “but it would be nice to only have to drive an hour or so if we happen to make it back there.”

“I’m not that familiar with the NIU facilities,” Bielema said. “but I understand they’re very nice, and the smaller stadium will really help to make it a great atmosphere.”

Bids from Southern Illinois University and Illinois State were also submitted. The scales tipped in NIU’s favor, however, with strong support from throughout the region.

“Athletic directors from over 100 IHSA member schools signed the bid, pledging their support for playing the games in DeKalb,” IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman said. “Schools from as far away as Galva, Peoria Richwoods and Zion-Benton, places you don’t necessarily associate with DeKalb. It went a long way to showing us how much it meant to the entire region to have the state championships played there.”

Newman defensive coordinator Tim Nelson thinks the move by the IHSA was the right call.

“NIU is the perfect facility for this,” he said. “There’s no track around the football field, so the fans are going to be right on top of the action. It’s going to be incredible. I know some of the southern teams will have issues about the travel, but for teams around here, it’s going to be great.”