Per a release Friday from the IHSA, due to the impending winter storm that is expected to impact significant portions of the state, including the Bloomington-Normal area, Illinois State University (ISU) has announced that it is closing its campus on Saturday, November 29 out of an abundance of caution.
The campus closure will force the IHSA to postpone the second day of the 2025 IHSA Football State Finals, which were set to unfold at ISU’s Hancock Stadium on the campus in Normal. Hancock Stadium is hosting the Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A title games on Friday, November 28. Those contests are not impacted and will be played as scheduled.
The Class 5A, 6A, 7A, and 8A state championship games scheduled for November 29 are being postponed. The IHSA is currently working with ISU leadership to determine the dates and times of the remaining state title games. The games will not be played on Sunday, November 30.
“The postponement of the IHSA Football State Finals is unprecedented in the state playoffs 51-year history,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “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.”
UPDATE (9:15 P.M. CST 11/28/25): The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has announced that it will hold its 2025 Class 5A and Class 6A Football State Championship games at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium on Tuesday, December 2 at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM, respectively.
The 5A state title game between St. Francis High School and Providence Catholic will kickoff at 3:00 PM and be followed by the 6A championship between East St. Louis and Fenwick. All tickets previously purchased through the ISU ticket office will be honored at the contest.
The IHSA is still in the process of rescheduling the Class 7A (Brother Rice vs. St. Rita) and Class 8A (Mt. Camel vs. Oswego) championship games, with the intention of playing the games on either Wednesday, December 3 or Thursday, December 4.
“There are still some logistical hurdles to clear in regard to the rescheduling of the Class 7A and 8A games,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “It is our intention to have that finalized by Saturday (Nov. 29) evening. We appreciate the patience and support of the competing schools and our partners at ISU and in Bloomington-Normal as we navigate this unprecedented situation.”