The Peoria Civic Center may be the perfect place for the IHSA state hoops tourney ... if you live in Peoria.
But for Chicago-type people like us, it is almost impossible to get to. It's just a long, long, long drive.
Do you think the tourney for the big schools should be moved? And, if so, should it go to Rosemont, the Sears Centrre in Hoffman Estates, Rockford?
Or should Gurnee build a 10,000-seat arena and take over the tourney itself?
Should state tourney be moved?
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Sorry Jeff, I don't think Gurnee can just take over the tourney. There is a process. I would vote for the Allstate Arena.
Sears Centre in Hoffman, beautiful joint
WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOLS FROM DOWNSTATE, I THOUGHT THE THEME WAS
WE ARE GOING DOWNSTATE, STOP TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE WHEEL, PEORIA
IS A HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP FROM CHICAGO!
Have you been on a school bus for a five-hour ride ONE-WAY. Then, after watching the game, get back on the bus for a five-hour ride back home.
Then, the next day, do it again. Down and back.
That's 20 hours on a school bus in less than 48 hours.
Asking Chicago area kids to do that is ridiculous. The down-and-back from Peoria is a haul. Remember, buses have governors and never go more than 60 mph regardless of road conditions.
Since almost all of the teams in Class 3A and 4A are from here, it makes economic sense if nothing else, to have the tournament in the Chicago area.
As for the "downstate" thing, many many many IHSA state tourneys are held in Chicago suburbs. That includes boys swimming, girls swimming, boys gymnastics, girls gymnastics, etc. No one is saying state swimming should move to Peoria because that would be stupid. Most of the swimmers are from around here. How is boys basketball different.
And, as for girls basketball, attendance at the IHSA state finals in Bloomington could be counted in the HUNDREDS. Why do you think a Round of 8 super-sectional girls game between Johnsburg and Wheeling can draw 1,500 fans and the state finals can't draw 1,000. In a word: T-R-A-V-E-L. ISU is too darn far away, and it's a lot closer than Peoria.
It's not fair to subject the folks from the Chicago area to a 5 hour bus ride to the tourny, so the obvious, Chicago Style solution is make the rest of the state bend to their whims.
Leave it where it is, Illinois is more than Chicago and the collar counties. In fact, when you get out of Chicago, it's a pretty nice state.
Peoria isn't that far away. It's less than two hours from Chicago.
Besides, the Peoria chamber of commerce puts together a better package in the bid for the tourney, plain and simple. The other only other community in the running is Champaign. However, Peoria outbids b/c their hotels (Holiday Inn especially), restaurants (mmmmm....Alexander's), taverns (ever hear of Big Als?), and casino all benefit.
Other states normally have their tourneys at the premier university in the state. Wisconsin, for instance, doesn't worry about putting it in the middle of the state (it's in Madison).
One more thing: all four classes need/should be at the same site for basketball. Therefore, the middle of the state does make sense.
By the way, the four classes need/should be at the same site. Therefore, the middle of the state makes the most sense anyway.
If the premise is that both 1-2A tourneys and the 3-4A tourneys have to be played in same place, then Peoria makes as much sense any place. Seven of the eight 1-2A teams are from downstate and seven of the eight 3-4A teams are from Chicago area.
But, who says both tourneys have to be in same place? Think of the MONEY that would be saved on transportation costs alone if the big-school tourney were in Chicago or Rosemont.