This is a fascinating topic in that both sides of the issue have legitimate points. And that creates discussion. It's just a shame that too many posters choose to make snarky comments rather than solid points.
For starters, the original poster's theory I believe is that there are many more residents in the Chicago metropolitan area than there are in the rest of the state, and that therefore, games featuring the Chicago area teams (mostly the bigger classes 5A-8A) would be of more interest to a lareger audience than would the games matching schools from areas of the state that many Chicago area residents may not be familiar with.
Obviously, the population statistics support that theory. You can search online and see that the Chicago areahas how much (?) 60-65 percent of the residents in the state. That's a pretty decent estimate I would say, and if that was all there was to the discussion, then yes, playing the 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A title games at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday would theoretically have a larger audience.
That said, poster JC Hillmen had an excellent counter point, and it happens to be one that I agree with.
His point is that Illinois high school football state championship games is basically a niche sport. If the team you support is not playing or did not lose in the playoffs to a team that is playing, then your interest in watching any of the 8 high school title games is pretty much the result of you being a prep sports fan who likes watching quality ball.
I mean, today (Friday), a Chicago sports fan could have watched the Blackhawks on TV, an Iowa-Nebraska Big Ten game that went down to the final seconds on TV, the South Florida/Central Florida college football game tonight, and/or even the Chicago Bulls game tonight. And this morning, while the IA title game was going on, unbeaten Michigan was schooling North Carolina in college hoops.
So for the sports fan in general, there are a ton of TV options on Friday and Saturday that are going to draw many more eyeballs than the IHSA playoffs, and that likely would be so if the games were on WGN instead of whatever it's on this year.
So the point JC Hillman was making is that if you are watching the IHSA finals instead of any of these many other solid choices, it is because you are a fan of Illinois high school sports. And if you are, and have no rooting interest in the game, then the enjoyment is coming from seeing a high-quality contest which could occur in any or all or none of the 8 classes.
Obviously, this year, so far the magical game was in 3A, which had a 4 p.m. kickoff. But that's just this year. Next year, it might be 1A or 7A. Several years ago, I believe Montini and Joliet Catholic played an epic final at 10 a.m. on a Saturday.
The point is, a high school sports fan is interested in seeing good quality play and exciting games, regardless of class. If I had a team playing this weekend, then obviously that would be must-watch TV for me. But for virtually everybody on this board, their home team is not playing, so the enjoyment comes from seeing quality teams and quality individuals
I imagine many of us are looking forward to seeing the Nazareth Academy QB in action, and also the East St. Louis team in action. For me, those are the must-see events.
For everybody else, they might some other teams and/or individuals.
The point is, it's OK for someone to say that he/she wants the games featuring bigger schools that are better known in the Chicago area to be played closer to prime time.
And it's also OK for others to point out that prep football is a niche sport, and though an audience for a Bears game is much bigger playing at 7 p.m. than it is when playing at noon, that the same concept does not hold true for the high school games on TV.
