Leaders and many business owners in Champaign-Urbana are looking forward to the return of the IHSA Boys State Basketball Finals next year. The Illinois High School Association announced Monday that the tournament will be returning to what is now known as the State Farm Center. It was previously held in Champaign-Urbana from 1919 until 1995. Since 1995 the games have been held at the Peoria Civic Center.
‘’We see this as the passing of the torch from Peoria to Champaign-Urbana,’’ said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. ‘’It is bittersweet because there is incredible passion for high school basketball within these two communities, and both have done so much to elevate the state final experience as hosts,’’ added Anderson.
‘’We are thrilled with today’s news that the Illinois high school boys basketball state finals will return home to the campus of the University of Illinois,’’ said Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Witman. ‘’We are grateful to the IHSA and its leadership for choosing State Farm Center and Champaign-Urbana to host the state finals. We are humbled by their confidence in our community, which I know will come together to provide the players, families, and fans of the state’s best teams a once-in-a-lifetime experience,’’ added Whitman.
[Photo and information for this story courtesy of IHSA News Media Center.]
