WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.519 Schwiker, Gannison Krizak Rundio proudly sponsors to Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike Krazak. 2 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.559 If you've been injured, we are ready to take on the insurance company 3 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.880 and get you to the end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars 4 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:22.640 for our clients. Visit ga nassi n dot com. What's up everyone, 5 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:26.640 and welcome back to the Friday Night Drive Podcast. I am Kyle Neighbors along 6 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.760 with Steve Susy. Here it is Monday afternoon at for recording that we're dropping 7 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:35.799 this on Tuesday morning, December six, and we're recording this episode in advance 8 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:42.799 of the ISSA with the anticipated reveal of where we will be at for the 9 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:48.520 next several years. Here for IHSA State Finals. The matchups in are the 10 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:53.399 last contract between where we were flipping between Northern Illinois University and the University of 11 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:58.079 Illinois. Those have expired. They've been in the bid process. We finally 12 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.920 here coming this week. The just A board meets on Wednesday, December seventh. 13 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.319 I'm guessing by late Wednesday afternoon at the very latest, by Thursday morning, 14 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:11.560 December eight, I assume we're going to have an idea and I know 15 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.200 where we will be out for the next couple of years, Sus. But 16 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.879 before we dive into that kind of an overview here we you know, Friday 17 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:23.200 Night Drive, everyone kind of took a deep breath. I was talking about 18 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:25.760 it on Twitter, and we took a kind of a deep breath after the 19 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:30.239 State finals. It's it's fourteen game weeks for us here at Friday Night Drive, 20 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.480 but it's about seventeen weeks when you look at all of our preview content 21 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.640 at a mad dash to the finish line. And so we kind of slowed 22 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:40.719 down this past week. But now that we're starting to settle back in, 23 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:44.000 we want to keep these podcasts going and have some topics to talk to you 24 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:47.519 about, Sus. And you know, I think it was maybe the night 25 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:49.760 the Saturday night after the eight A game or ended, or the next morning. 26 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.040 You were kind of half joking and mostly serious. So you were already 27 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:57.159 asking for twenty twenty three schedules. So you are, as I said, 28 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:00.879 we were already in the kind of the planning process for twenty twenty three. 29 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:05.159 Right. Well, you know it's funny that I mean, yeah, I 30 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:07.439 was asking for him, but I have a feeling that if I hadn't asked 31 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:09.719 for him, I was gonna start getting them anyway. I mean, that's 32 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:15.479 usually what ends up happening. The season wasn't even over yet, and I 33 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:19.159 was getting people inquiring if I knew who was available in such and such a 34 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:23.360 week for a game. So, um, you know, I never I 35 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:28.199 never want to stop talking about it. So I enjoy those questions and queries 36 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:31.319 more so than anything else. Um. But you know, the process, 37 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:36.599 it's always kind of moving along, even though you like you said, you 38 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.080 know, you take a breath there shortly, but um, people are are 39 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:44.879 in the motion. The wheels are in motion for talking into the next season. 40 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:47.560 You know who's you know, I was already getting questions about, you 41 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:51.879 know, who are going to be the big guys next year. You know, 42 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:53.680 who are the big underclassmen that are coming back in the in the you 43 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:58.400 know class of twenty four. Um, you know, And I'm not quite 44 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:01.039 ready to discuss that at great Land at this point because I'm still kind of 45 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:07.759 siphoning through a lot of things while wrapping up this season. But it's still, 46 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:12.439 you know, it's always there's always something kind of percolating under the surface, 47 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:16.159 whether it be you know, conference realignments or teams looking for games, 48 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:21.680 or you know, situations where you start talking about, well, who's got 49 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:27.360 the most underclassmen coming back for next year. It's the conversation, while sometimes 50 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.599 it's kind of a low whisper, almost never stops entirely. Yeah, it's 51 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:37.039 it's it never it never comes to a complete halt. And that's kind of 52 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:39.159 the basis for a lot of what we'll be doing on these podcasts over the 53 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:44.240 offseason. A lot of the content you see at Friday Night Drive dot com. 54 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:46.479 Uh, you know, already up there today Michael dwell Jack had a 55 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:53.319 CCL SCC notebook looking at NAZ Loyola, Mount Carmel, Providence teams that played 56 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.759 in the state title game. You mentioned realignment. Will be diving in in 57 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:00.919 the future about the realignment coming with the cc L and e SEC. We 58 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:03.919 got some new conferences that are forming, some teams moving conferences. A lot 59 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:09.120 of stuff we'll talk about in the future. US content coming this week obviously, 60 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:12.879 we'll have a lot of stuff about what's happening with state football and where 61 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:17.319 that's gonna take place. You know, we're just give people an idea, 62 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:20.759 Like we got a deep dive Michael's been working on for several months about the 63 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:25.839 state of officiating and the lack of officials and what the ihsa AN organization are 64 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:30.399 trying to do outside the box ideas to try and get some new people in 65 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.560 on that. A lot to talk about, but for the most part, 66 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:35.519 today we're gonna we're gonna talk about state football. But before we do, 67 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:40.279 there was one nugget that sus and I were kind of discussing an off air 68 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:44.079 before we started recording, and it was about the schedules he was looking through, 69 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:47.800 and it was, you know, Saint Teresa, and I didn't even 70 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:49.839 realize that, Susy, you told me this, and I didn't know that 71 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:54.920 Saint Teresa no longer a part of their conference going to an independent schedule, 72 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:59.600 and a Week five matchup was one that stuck out stood out to you with 73 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:01.199 Winslow or the one that you immediately went to. But it sound like there 74 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:06.199 were several games on that schedule that already kind of peaked your interest. You 75 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:10.800 know, when you look at at what's left in the Group of Independence in 76 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:14.519 the state of Illinois, I mean, there aren't many, and you know, 77 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:17.480 when you see a team move from an established conference to the ranks of 78 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:21.399 the Independence. You start to wonder about how they're going to be able to 79 00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:27.839 put together a schedule in that situation, and some really intriguing things happened with 80 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.959 that. I mean, obviously, the Northwest up State a LINEI conference is 81 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:34.560 one with an odd number of teams in it, so they're going to need 82 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:40.079 to fill one of their non conference dates with a team from possibly the Independent 83 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:44.680 ranks or something like that, and that creates some weird off weeks for teams. 84 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.399 And that's why Lena Winslow was available for a game in week five. 85 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:51.600 And if you don't know a lot about the way scheduling works, almost no 86 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:56.519 one's open in week five. I mean, so typically what teams have to 87 00:05:56.519 --> 00:06:00.879 do if they draw one of those middle of the season off weeks, they 88 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.439 usually have to find an out of state opponent to fill that date. But 89 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:10.079 in this situation, Decatur Saint Theresa, a newly created Independent in this situation, 90 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:13.360 doesn't have a lot of relationships that they've already had to fall back on 91 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:18.439 in scheduling. It makes for a really really interesting fit with Lena Winslow coming 92 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:23.720 down to Decatur Saint Theresa in week five. You know, for a Saturday 93 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:27.720 afternoon game. That can be completely honest with you, I might be making 94 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:30.120 a trip to Decatur if the schedule holds up the way that I had that 95 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:32.879 I want to so I would finally get a chance to see both of those 96 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:36.839 teams in a regular season. Yeah, that's that's actually my follow up collection 97 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:40.319 for you. There was that game is I was that game on Saturday because 98 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:44.279 I assumed, because of the distance between those two schools, they wouldn't want 99 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:46.879 to make that drive on a Friday night. And then I was secretly hoping, 100 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:49.839 you're based down in Kankakee County, getting down Decatur's easier. I'm up 101 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:53.319 here in mckenry County getting too, Lena, it's easier. So I was 102 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:56.680 secretly hoping you were going to tell me the game was that Lena selfishly myself, 103 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.160 But uh, you know, that's a much easier drive for you, 104 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:02.199 So I guess you'll have to be the one to give us a report from 105 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:05.800 that game. Yeah, it's it's just it's it's a really interesting thing to 106 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.959 look at when you look at it in a hole. I mean, they 107 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:13.319 also Saint Theresa also has a game with Solono Unity. They're closing the season 108 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:17.000 in a Week nine game with a five A power Highland, which I thought 109 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:23.680 was a pretty big bite for Saint Theresa to try to take. But once 110 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:27.040 again you go back to how many independents are left. Um, you know, 111 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:30.759 the inability and the difficulty in finding games and opponents willing to play. 112 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:34.360 So Saint Theresa really not backing down from anyone that is willing to sign on 113 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:40.480 the dotted line. So respect to them, because getting themselves in a good 114 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:45.240 playoff position with that schedule next year and an attempt to defend their Class two 115 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.120 A site state title will be challenging, all right. So the like I 116 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:53.079 said, the main, the main thrust today is it going to be talking 117 00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:59.000 about state football and make sure you stick to Friday Night Drive dot com will 118 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:03.399 have full coverage coverage for you over there. You can follow us on Twitter 119 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.399 at f and Drive. You can follow myself on Twitter at Kyle Neighbors. 120 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:09.920 You can follow SEUs on Twitter at the SEUs. You can also find Friday 121 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:15.079 Night Drive on Facebook and Instagram. Just search for Friday Night Drive. Follow 122 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:18.720 us on there everyone, you know, it helps more people find us when 123 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:22.199 they when you get to follow and all those algorithms start working. It helps 124 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:26.560 us grow, which we do this for you. It's a high school football 125 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.480 community that we are trying to build, so we appreciate everyone that follows along. 126 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.480 And the other thing I want to say about that and then we're gonna 127 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.000 get into it is, you know, we want to know what people discuss 128 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:39.279 or want us to discuss. It's it's not always easy coming up with topics 129 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:43.519 and things to talk about, particularly during the off season. So never hesitate, 130 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:48.240 you know, particularly like just jump into my DMS or SEUs you say, 131 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:50.720 hey, this is something I think you guys should discuss, or you 132 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:52.759 know, I can't promise you that we're going to get to it if it's 133 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:56.120 something weird, which I sometimes get some weird one from people, but you 134 00:08:56.200 --> 00:09:00.519 know, I always appreciate ideas, So don't ever have to take to reach 135 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.600 out right south. Yeah, and on that topic, I kind of picked 136 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:07.080 a Twitter fight last week just to kind of see what people were talking about. 137 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:11.480 I'm not ducking the public versus private debate. I do plan in the 138 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:16.039 off season to take a deep dive into this and truly kind of try to 139 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:20.879 get an idea of what you know from both sides of the argument, what 140 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:24.600 the expectation is, what the hope is. I've got some of my own 141 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:28.919 personal thoughts on this topic that I will eventually share, but I just wanted 142 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:31.080 to kind of get a feel of what people were talking about on this topic. 143 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:37.360 I know it's a very contentious topic on a lot of levels. What 144 00:09:37.559 --> 00:09:41.000 I'm more interested in is, and I'm not trying to say that I'm a 145 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:45.960 policy maker here, but I'm more interested in knowing what would get us closer 146 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:50.840 to where we're not constantly at each other's throats on this topic, because you 147 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:58.120 know, I think what we're doing right now isn't the ideal solution. I 148 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.440 don't think the ideal solution is separation. I really don't, and I don't 149 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:05.720 think a lot of people ultimately want that. And it was kind of why 150 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:09.480 I invoked the whole how many states do you think are really doing this? 151 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:13.840 Because that was what that was what I was trying to get at. It's 152 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:16.960 not common, and there's a reason that it's not common. And there's also 153 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.559 a reason why some other states have done this and gone back after doing it 154 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.720 because they didn't like the feel of it. So be careful what you wish 155 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:30.840 for and some of these situations because it will get but I do intend to 156 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:35.080 dive in in the off season here and really take a deep grind look at 157 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:39.519 it and talk about what what might might might make that argument a little bit 158 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:43.840 more, uh, you know, stomachable to the people that are really charged 159 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:46.679 up about this topic. Yeah, I mean this is this is certainly a 160 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.960 topic. It's a good tea suits. I'm glad you brought it up. 161 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.399 This is a topic that we're going to hit on several times that Friday night 162 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:56.799 Drive over the course of the off season, whether that's you know, kind 163 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:01.559 of long form pieces trying to break down the data and look at it. 164 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:05.600 I was talking about and I'm not sure it would be next week's podcast, 165 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.960 but one of these podcasts here pretty soon. I've got several people, and 166 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:11.720 I'm sure you're gonna have more. I haven't even brought this up to you 167 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:15.480 yet, but I want to try and talk to some coaches that I know 168 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:18.639 that have coached or that work have worked on both sides of it, both 169 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:22.519 in the public and the private, and see how comfortable they would be in 170 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:26.799 terms of kind of bringing people behind the curtain a little bit more. Because 171 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:28.919 it's it's it's a lot more nuance, and people think like they just want 172 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.720 to scream recruiting and listen, I get it, like there are things that 173 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:37.480 are happening that shouldn't be happening, like we do need to improve the system, 174 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:41.440 but it's it's not as simple, like these Catholic schools aren't just walking 175 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.039 into some gym and taking kids out of there. Like. It's a lot 176 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:48.000 more nuance on than that. There's problems on the public side too, So 177 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.480 my goal here is to try and get some of the people that actually have 178 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:56.519 experience with this on a daily basis and get them come in and talk to 179 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:58.399 them about it. So we'll see how that unfolds. Hopefully we're gonna have 180 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:03.240 that podcast for you and the relatively near future, so stay tuned for that. 181 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:05.159 Now, as we turn over here, I want to We're already about 182 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:09.399 twelve minutes in sus so I'm gonna go ahead. We're gonna take a quick 183 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.200 commercial break at a word for our sponsor for the Friday Night Drive podcast, 184 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:15.960 and then we'll come back and finally dive into the topic that was the genesis 185 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.360 of this episode. So stick with us. We'll be right back. Schweiker 186 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:24.759 Gannison Krizak Rundio proudly sponsors to Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike Krizak. If 187 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:26.840 you've been injured, we are ready to take on the insurance company and get 188 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:31.039 you to the end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our 189 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:37.919 clients. Visit GA nassi n dot com. All right, thank you once 190 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.240 again to sgk our Love for joining us here as the sponsor for Friday Night 191 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:43.480 Drive dot com. And now, as I said, the reason we were 192 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:48.159 here was to talk about state football in the future of state football that weekend. 193 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.120 Sus you and I are on the same page. We wrote about it 194 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:58.759 in our column. We really enjoy the overall feel for what happens in Champagne. 195 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:05.399 Really. I talked to many many people down there over the two days, 196 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:11.320 and it was pretty common a thing that pretty much everyone enjoys the setup 197 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:16.200 in Champagne. The one drawback I heard, and I completely agree with it, 198 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.440 is the only actual drawback is the size of the stadium, which is 199 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:22.360 odd because it's such a gorgeous stadium since they redid it. I like being 200 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:26.840 down on a field on Saturday. It was just great to be down there 201 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:28.600 it's a good place to watch a game. The one problem with it being 202 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:33.960 that large, though, is on game day, particularly in the smaller classes, 203 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:37.240 it can feel a bit hollow and dead. It can, but you 204 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:39.720 know it for me, it's like, I mean, I don't really know 205 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:46.440 what the solution is per se to that particular issue because I mean this, 206 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:52.879 I want to preface this by saying I am not sliding small school football when 207 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:58.399 I say this, It's just a mathematical situation. Right. If the entire 208 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:03.159 two towns sounds closed down for the one A final and bring every people, 209 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:07.600 every person that lives in that town to any of the potential venues, it's 210 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.720 still not going to be very full. Like that's just the reality of the 211 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:15.840 situation. Um, you know, and I don't. I don't think there's 212 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:20.679 any real solution for that. And so I mean it does play better, 213 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.279 like like you can tell a difference in terms of like the crowd noise between 214 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:28.240 northern and when it's there and you And I'm not saying and listen before people 215 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.159 think like I'm trying to say like this is what you should bait your decision 216 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:33.519 on. That's not what I'm saying. Like that is pretty low down or 217 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:37.440 pretty far down the list of things. But what I'm trying to say is 218 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.039 that you have I is such a good facility and it has served it so 219 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.320 well. That is really like the only thing. Yeah, I would say 220 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:48.279 it was a common complaint, right. No, No, that's the one. 221 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:52.639 That's that's where it comes from. And that's like, you know, 222 00:14:52.919 --> 00:15:00.320 my preference of the sites available is Champagne. Um. It based based on 223 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:03.480 you know, what I know of those those facilities. Now, to be 224 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:09.120 fair, I have not been in Illinois State since the renovation, so that 225 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:13.879 is clouding my judgment a little bit in regards to that. But and I 226 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:18.039 kept coming back to what I had heard from a couple of people over the 227 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:22.320 course of discussing this with them. You know, for me, I think 228 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:30.840 the best athlete experience is provided by you. Of I I think that if 229 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:35.600 you ask them where do you want to play in the state final, I 230 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:41.279 think the answer is going to overwhelmingly be Champagne. I just think, you 231 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:46.159 know, the cash a of playing on a big ten field, you know. 232 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:48.360 And I was struck back by something, and you know, because I'm 233 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:54.399 a weirdo, I went back and watched all of the eight finals again on 234 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:58.200 television after I got home, so because I can't quite let it go. 235 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:03.120 And there was something that one of the broadcasters had said about the fact that, 236 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:07.720 you know, for a lot of these kids, it's the last time 237 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:11.279 that they're ever going to suit up the seniors. They may not be going 238 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.879 on and playing anywhere else beyond you know, high school, and for them 239 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:21.840 to have the opportunity to close their football careers on a big ten stadium field 240 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:26.480 has a cachet to it that none of the other sites can match. So 241 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.519 that for me, you know, I think that's kind of where why I 242 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:36.039 lean the way that I lean on it. I'm welcoming and open to other 243 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:40.720 solutions and other ideas there certainly are, but for me, it's like, 244 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.480 where do the guys that are actually doing this want to play? Yeah, 245 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:51.320 and I think it's Champagne I could. Yeah, I can definitely see that. 246 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:55.480 So let's let's kind of set it up here and give a little more 247 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.600 of an overview and zoom out for a second. So we were down at 248 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:04.519 State and and so the first thing I want to say is that we know 249 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:10.599 from talking to people for sure that at least two bids have been submitted we 250 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:14.720 know people actually, let me stop you there. I know there's been there 251 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.160 have been four schools that okay, so I so through my conversations, I 252 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:22.839 knew of two you have I. But what I heard from that was that 253 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:27.680 the bid that they submitted was staggered or every other year, right it is. 254 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.880 They were looking to make a three year commitment that was staggered. So 255 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:40.759 their bids submission was basically saying alternating for a three year period, you know, 256 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:44.880 alternating over the you know, a six year stint, basically finding a 257 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:49.799 similar situation to the northern situation right now where they would they would alternate those 258 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:53.400 bids. That is what my understanding of the u of I bid is. 259 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:59.559 That's different than what the IHSA had asked for in the bid process, and 260 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:04.599 that yes, which is a continuous five year arrangement. So for the University 261 00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:10.400 of Illinois to be granted this bid, they would one have to find a 262 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:15.119 partner willing to abide by this, which I think they'd be able to do, 263 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:21.680 and two for the HSA to say, this isn't what we wanted, 264 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:26.920 but we're okay with that plan. It also, in my mind, makes 265 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:30.960 them a pretty substantial underdog in this process. But that's for that's another step 266 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.359 of the conversation here we'll get to in a minute. Yeah, so that's 267 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:40.079 where we are at UOV. Before we move on from you, of I 268 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:44.920 will say. The other thing that is intriguing about this process when it comes 269 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.559 to you of I is head coach Brett Bilma has made it publicly clear that 270 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:53.799 he wants the state finals back at uo I. They've had success so far. 271 00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:00.799 Brett Bilma is coaching or I'm sorry, he's recruiting Illinois better than a 272 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:04.359 u of iye coach and his staff and their staff have recruited Illinois in a 273 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:11.480 long time, and he knows the power of having that at Champagne. So 274 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:15.839 it's a welcome it's it's it's a much more welcoming environment than previous regimes in 275 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:21.319 the Illinois coaching staff. Right. They understand the significance and the importance of 276 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:25.319 being able to do this to put in in roads not only for the current 277 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:29.880 teams but for future teams. Uh. They're they're doing a little bit more 278 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.200 now than they have done in the past. Um to UH to make to 279 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:38.839 make it more welcoming to the I just say, continuing this relationship with them. 280 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:44.480 So the fact that they are asking for kind of like a bid modification, 281 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:49.039 I think with this particular group they might be more willing to bend those 282 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:53.960 original specifications because of that. I mean, it's little things. It's like 283 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.920 the helmet display that they that they put up in the concourse. I don't 284 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:02.240 know if you saw that over the course of the weekend, where they they 285 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:07.759 mandated you they basically said, bring us an extra helmet because if you win 286 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.200 the state championship, we're going to put it in a display case that we're 287 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:14.319 going to keep all the way up until the next state finals in our building. 288 00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:18.359 Like, it's little things like that where they're trying to create a union 289 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:23.000 with the IHSA, schools, its memberships, it's coaches as schools, it's 290 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:29.200 players that maybe has not been there before. And so that where we're kind 291 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:32.960 to add at you a v where you like, you look at it and 292 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:37.039 you say, well, that bid doesn't fit the specifications that the HSA wanted, 293 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:40.799 but there are things that make that keep you a vie in the Roman 294 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:44.519 possibilities and the other thing as we go into this discussion that I want I 295 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:52.079 want to frame it as irritating is not the right word, but maybe aggravating. 296 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:56.839 It's an okay one because the fact that the IHSA is not a public 297 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:00.799 body, it's a private body, Like they don't have to reveal what these 298 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:07.000 bids look like. Um, so I wish and I guess I hope once 299 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:11.279 we do get a site set and I don't expect this, but I kind 300 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:12.519 of hope. I know people from the h S they do listen to this, 301 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:15.720 so maybe, uh maybe I can kind of push them along here, 302 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:22.079 but like just some level of transparency about why, like what the bids were, 303 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.680 why they chose what they did, Like that'd be nice, um, 304 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:32.480 because I do think that these these universities are making substantial pushes to try and 305 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:34.559 come up with a good package. Um. And one of them, as 306 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:37.119 the other one you said you have four, The second one that I knew 307 00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:41.640 of was I s U makes a lot of sense centrally es centrally located down 308 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:49.880 in Bloomington, updated facilities, newly renovated that you know, uh downsides. 309 00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:56.119 I don't really see a lot of downside, but uh what I mean? 310 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:00.720 So, what are the other two that you heard of? SEUs Northern and 311 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:03.240 the and in my opinion, the real long shot been in this one. 312 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:07.920 Southern has Southern Illinois University has also put in a bit for the finals. 313 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:11.240 Yeah, that's I can't imagine that would happen. Yeah, I just think 314 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:17.319 it's it's too far, and especially when we get into a situation, which 315 00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:19.119 I do think will happen. It may not be next year, but I 316 00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:23.119 think eventually we're going to get to a one to thirty two bracket where history 317 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:29.160 has proven and shown that the majority of the teams that would qualify for the 318 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:33.039 state final would probably be being asked to make four to five hour trips to 319 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:36.480 the finals. And I don't think that's an ideal. I mean, I 320 00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:42.079 think while it's not required and decal, especially as has had some people making 321 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:47.839 some long trips up to them, I think centrally located is probably an ideal 322 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:52.119 for what they are trying to do here. So it wouldn't surprise me, 323 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:56.880 like I said it would be. I think SIUs are really a real long 324 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:00.920 shot. I appreciate that they have good facilities, you know, and would 325 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.920 like the opportunity to showcase them. I just think some of the intangible issues 326 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:07.160 there are are not going away, and I think it would be kind of 327 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:11.400 a hard Sell. I hope I don't. I'm not stealing a column idea 328 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:15.960 or a column that Michael O'Brien was going to write. A Michael O'Brien, 329 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:21.000 of course, the excellent prep editor with the Chicago Sometimes I was sitting next 330 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:22.440 to him at State Football suits who are on the other side of me, 331 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.039 So you certainly were in these conversations with Mike as well. But you know, 332 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:29.880 he talked about it would kind of be cool, you know, even 333 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:32.599 if it was like if they wanted to do something in southern to try and 334 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:37.119 give people down there the opportunity to host that and for people that maybe don't 335 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:41.279 like to travel up it is close enough to the Saint Louis metro area that 336 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:47.079 you could potentially draw some decent crowd because of it. I do kind of 337 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:48.920 like the idea of, like, if you wanted to do that with that 338 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:52.960 kind of concept in mind, if you said, okay once every five years, 339 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.759 every fifth year, will do that, if you like you were able 340 00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:57.160 to find a few different sides. The problem with that though, is like 341 00:23:57.240 --> 00:24:00.519 the more site you have, the more complicated to get the logistics about. 342 00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:04.960 I'm moving them around. But I like, I understand, like the concept 343 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:07.640 of what Mike was saying. I do think that would be a cool idea 344 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:11.359 on the surface. I just don't know if logistically it would ever make sense. 345 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:15.720 Yeah, it's definitely one of those things where it would be like, 346 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:19.359 you know, I've kind of danced around in the past that with you know, 347 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:25.200 it might be interesting to do split sites, you know, we have 348 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:29.960 I think eventually we're going to get into a situation in the state where we 349 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:34.720 may have nine classes when eight man finally reaches it's it's or we might end 350 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:38.359 up going an eight man class and reduce our you know, the eleven man 351 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:41.720 football to seven classes. I don't know, but I think, you know, 352 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:48.480 I think sometimes maybe a split site might help, especially like if you 353 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.279 took five through eight A because if you look at if you look at who 354 00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:56.799 makes the five through eight A finals, it tends to be schools closer to 355 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:02.319 Chicago Land. So maybe that would help if you did have a venue closer 356 00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:06.880 to Chicago Land for the five through eight finals, and then you know, 357 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:12.039 maybe the one through four A finals is a rotation of Central and Southern Illinois 358 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:15.640 sites. Um, that's that's that. I don't know if that's something that 359 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:21.559 they'd be willing to explore. But I think it's an interesting idea that we've 360 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:25.640 never really gotten into. And I don't know if they necessarily want to do 361 00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:29.079 that either. I think there are a lot of There are a lot of 362 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:34.480 pluses um to having you know, championship weekend all at the same place where 363 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:37.240 you get if you're if you're a high school football fan, you know, 364 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:41.079 just a fan who just wants to go watch football, no matter who the 365 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:44.839 teams are involved. Um. The way that they do it now is very 366 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:49.279 appealing. UM. But I think there are there's some merit to at least 367 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:55.039 thinking about the potential of maybe splitting it. Yeah, I want to. 368 00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:56.440 I want to get into some of those outside the box ideas. That was 369 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:00.400 certainly one. I got a couple more I want to talk about before we 370 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.680 do. I do want to we hit on the three of the four we 371 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:06.119 just mentioned. Northern. Um. Obviously, we have experience with going to 372 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:10.680 Northern. And I'll say this, like talking to coaches and players, they 373 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:15.599 actually everyone I talk to really likes the on field experience at Northern. They 374 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:18.680 like the setup there. It's it's it's it is convenient in terms of you 375 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:23.440 have you know where you're able to get bust into. It's the The indoor 376 00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:26.920 practice facility is right there next to the stadium and you literally walk through a 377 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:30.839 set of doors, walk down a short hallway. The setup there is really 378 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:37.240 good. It's more the logistical stuff for everything else that isn't as great. 379 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:40.319 The media. And see, this is where I have to be a little 380 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:44.880 because I'm it's I'm one. I'm it's painful for me to say it as 381 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:48.000 an niu alum uh. You know, I try and be nice to my 382 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:52.440 alma mater. But the press box up there is I mean, it was 383 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:56.160 built in the sixties. It hasn't been updated. They've been trying back in 384 00:26:56.279 --> 00:27:00.880 like twenty twelve. They have this twenty twenty plan and that they had where 385 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:03.920 there was this big renovation plan they were gonna, I think, knock down 386 00:27:03.960 --> 00:27:07.480 that entire of the stadium rebuild a modern press box. They you know, 387 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:11.440 couldn't come up to financing like that. Nothing's never been done. It continues 388 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:15.559 to be very outdated over there. And I don't want to just look at 389 00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:21.559 it from a press perspective, but I think you see that just out past 390 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:23.200 that because like there's not a lot of room like you go on ule By, 391 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:26.759 there's a ton of room for the coaches like upstairs that want to call 392 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:30.640 game from up there, to have their staffs up there. That's a big 393 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:36.799 thing. We literally when we're at NIU, the different people, the different 394 00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:41.079 coaches, we can hear them screaming during the game. That's that's how small 395 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:45.200 the press box is. So if not just a media thing, I know 396 00:27:45.319 --> 00:27:49.039 the coaches want more room up up top like that as well. Yeah, 397 00:27:49.240 --> 00:27:52.680 it's I mean, like I said, a lot of times, this discussion 398 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:57.000 from people outside of the press falls on deaf ears and it's like, oh 399 00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:00.599 boo hoo. You know, you have to you have to be a little 400 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:06.920 inconvenienced by your surroundings. Um. It's just one of those things when you 401 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:10.119 know, I just look at the logistics of it. Uh, you know, 402 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:14.200 I just I don't know. I don't feel the same down there with 403 00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:18.440 the experience. And I'm glad to hear that the players, you know, 404 00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:23.720 are having a good on field experience there. It something just misses a little 405 00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:29.119 bit with me and the Northern experience. UM. And it's some of it 406 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:32.480 is the press box, some of it is just it just doesn't feel like 407 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:36.720 the energy feels a little bit off to me. I don't know, especially 408 00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:41.519 on Friday. Um it's maybe a little bit better on Saturday, but um 409 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:45.680 it suffers from the same in some ways. It suffers in the same way 410 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:51.000 that I think that Southern does. Like it's for you know, a school 411 00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:53.920 down you know, a little bit south of Bloomington. If I'm if I'm 412 00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:59.839 not directly connected to that team, I'm not making that trip like that, 413 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:03.160 that's that's too far. Like it's just that's the logistics of it are not 414 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:08.920 great, so minority of the teams that end up qualifying there. But I 415 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:11.880 still, you know, I keep hammering on the same point. I think 416 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:17.039 central location is important to many of the people involved in the selection of this 417 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:22.359 process. Well, and this is where we're probably really never going to know. 418 00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:27.640 Um, I mean, I maybe there'll be more transparent than I'm expecting. 419 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:32.680 But so you look at it and I think I made this comment, 420 00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:36.599 like what is the percentage the population percentage that lives north of I eighty, 421 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:42.160 So like if we talk about want to be centrally located to convenience the teams 422 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:48.720 from the south, but like one of the biggest money makers for the IHSA 423 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:52.279 and like they need to take a revenue There was a like they were hurting 424 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:56.640 coming out of the pandemic because the loss of the postseason that year, like 425 00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:00.839 the h State Finals, is a big revenue maker for the organization and if 426 00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:04.240 they don't make that, those costs are going to be passed on to schools 427 00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:08.839 or taket increase ticket price and increases. So they may not publicly say it, 428 00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:12.359 but like there has to be a consideration of, well, yeah, 429 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:18.079 you have I or I sue were centrally located, but if we are up 430 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:22.200 north at NIU, do we see a significant revenue increase from that? So 431 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:26.039 and I don't know what their numbers are, like, um, I don't 432 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:30.880 publicly, they don't they They've never released like actual attendance figures, and I 433 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:34.359 don't think that process is going to start anytime soon. But I'm sure they 434 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:38.640 have data on decub now, so that will be a that will be a 435 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:42.079 contributing factor. And maybe I'm a way off base, Maybe it is maybe 436 00:30:42.119 --> 00:30:47.720 the numbers are significantly better to where that gives them a leg up in this 437 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:52.240 conversation. I don't know the answer to that. It's so and it's eyeball 438 00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:59.519 speculation on my part, I don't think the crowds are significantly stronger at DECAL. 439 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:03.440 Don't. But I could be told that they are, and I would 440 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:04.680 nod my head and go, Okay, I guess you're right. I mean 441 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:08.000 that I don't have the data. So and this is where this is a 442 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:11.359 good place to end it for the last let's say five or ten minutes, 443 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:14.960 and we'll wrap this up, because this is where I think it's a good 444 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:18.279 conversation to have the out the kind of the outside the box ideas. You 445 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:22.240 already mentioned the one about a potential eventually, and I don't so I think 446 00:31:22.279 --> 00:31:26.440 everything we're about to discuss here, all these ideas are not things I expect 447 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:30.240 to see this time. I expect to see a five year contract and then 448 00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:34.240 I expect after that they might start to look at different ideas and try and 449 00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:37.559 get a little more creative. Right now, I feel like they're just trying 450 00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:41.200 to get steady coming out of the pandemic, just have something they can rely 451 00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:45.200 on. So you mentioned like if they talk about revenue and they look at 452 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:48.880 it, maybe they do want to do a split site down the road where 453 00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:52.000 they say, all right, the five through eight eight classes, the clear 454 00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:55.119 majority of teams are coming from there. Let's get those up there where we 455 00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:59.079 can get the most fans, the most people that are willing to come by 456 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:00.759 doing that and then having the lower classes down in the center of the state 457 00:32:00.839 --> 00:32:05.119 or maybe once a year every five like down in Southern that's one thing, 458 00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:08.440 right, And before I go through an idea, I have I mentioned a 459 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:12.440 couple in my column, anything else on that you wanted to hit on, 460 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:15.240 you know, the one thing and obviously this can't happen now, But the 461 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:20.799 one thing that I've the one idea that I had heard floated and proffered, 462 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:23.759 and I don't even know if they're interested in, but the would be a 463 00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:30.039 potential rotation between Northwestern and the University of Illinois once they get there get their 464 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:35.799 field finished. Yeah, I think that would be a fascinating blend of kind 465 00:32:35.880 --> 00:32:37.839 of the best of both worlds type of a situation. But like I said, 466 00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:40.440 I don't even know if Northwestern would be interested in something like that. 467 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:44.880 If they, if they were, then yeah, because I mean, that's 468 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:50.000 that's going to be a major renovation project that they're undertaking. It fills the 469 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:55.440 bill of being you know, relatively close to typical qualifiers and the larger classifications. 470 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:00.119 But you know, like I said, don't even know if they are 471 00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:02.960 interested. But that's one of those things that I think down the line would 472 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:08.680 be a fascinating sort of situation to be withheld, and it also would meet 473 00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:15.559 the needs and requirements of both of those universities. So for me, that 474 00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:19.599 was just an interesting balloon that someone floated and I thought, well, it 475 00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:22.599 just kind of raised my eyebrow a little bit when I heard it. But 476 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:24.599 obviously can't be done now. I mean we're not even there yet, so 477 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:28.039 right, Yeah, like I said, all I think all these topics we're 478 00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:30.759 looking at after the next five year term, I do think that's a really 479 00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:35.319 a really interesting idea. I love what I've seen of the renderings of Northwestern 480 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:38.079 potential new stadium. I'm not sure, like has that been is that just 481 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:42.400 like are they greenlit on that? Do they have them the finance and in 482 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:45.440 place? I haven't looked, I guess closely enough. As far as I 483 00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:47.359 know it's happening, it's a goo okay, So yeah, I mean, 484 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:51.640 yeah, that would be interesting. And two ideas I threw out in my 485 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:53.200 column that I wrote after the state finals, do you still find that at 486 00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:58.559 Friday Night Drive dot Com. These are two outside the box ideas. If 487 00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:01.039 the Bears were two leaves old your field, which I'm I'm pretty confident at 488 00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:06.079 this point, it's you know that they are going to Arlington Heights. Were 489 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:10.079 they projected to close the deal in Arlington Heights after the first of the year. 490 00:34:10.519 --> 00:34:15.119 We're now what we're in December, So if things haven't fallen apart yet, 491 00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:17.639 I assume that the Bears are going to be moving forward with that. 492 00:34:17.960 --> 00:34:22.519 I assume that they're gonna that they are going to break around on that new 493 00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:27.119 stadium. And I'm not saying, you know, I'm sure it'd be awesome 494 00:34:27.159 --> 00:34:30.719 to have a State at an indoor new facility out at Arlington Heights, I 495 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:36.159 know, like Michigan does Theirs at a Ford Field in Detroit. But outside 496 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:38.800 of that, if the city of Chicago lost the revenue of having the Bears 497 00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:45.199 that Soldier Field eight games, that Soldier Field once a year, people would 498 00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:49.840 be excited, right. I do think it would draw good crowd being in 499 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:52.519 the city. Now people coming outside the city, which would be a lot 500 00:34:52.599 --> 00:34:57.920 of people. A lot of teams might complain about the traffic and hotel prices, 501 00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:01.840 and that's something you certainly have to consider because it is Thanksgiving weekend. 502 00:35:02.280 --> 00:35:07.840 So um, that is that one major knock against that, but something I 503 00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:10.679 would think that the city of Chicago would at least have interest in. And 504 00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:14.719 the other one I mentioned in my column was Toyota Park, which is the 505 00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:20.320 soccer stadium that has been used of Fenwick was at Fenwick and Oak Park Forest. 506 00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:22.880 Yeah, they played a regular season game there this year. Um, 507 00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:27.440 it's a really nice facility. There's a couple of brand new hotels that have 508 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:31.840 an indoor facility right there. Um, I'm not sure if the field itself 509 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:36.119 meets the specifications currently, Like you know, I think it was good for 510 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:39.079 that one game. I'm not sure how it would work for an entire weekend, 511 00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:44.920 but it is. It's near the city, but it's far enough to 512 00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:47.239 the west that you don't have to deal with quite the amount of traffic. 513 00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:52.440 It's near two major interstates in fifty five and two ninety four. There's a 514 00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:57.239 lot of places that there's a lot of things that makes sense about that site 515 00:35:57.519 --> 00:36:02.119 logistically from from a big picture perspective, I don't know when you got down 516 00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:07.280 to brass tacks if it would work though, Yeah, you know, it's 517 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:10.639 one of those things where I don't know if it would work. And right 518 00:36:10.760 --> 00:36:15.960 now it's like we have solutions on the table for the short term that I 519 00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:20.960 think are what they are. It's the short term. It's I mean, 520 00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:25.360 the landscape could totally change at the end of this term in regards to what 521 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:31.039 may be available and what the options could be. So we're talking a lot 522 00:36:31.079 --> 00:36:36.320 of hypotheticals down the line, but I think in the current in the current 523 00:36:36.360 --> 00:36:42.000 structure, the options available to the Illinois High School Association for awarding this bid, 524 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:47.360 you know, I all along I've said I think the favorite label is 525 00:36:47.400 --> 00:36:53.440 on Illinois State. I think it's a newly renovated venue. It's been there 526 00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:59.480 before, and I mean obviously it wasn't renovated there. It's it's got the 527 00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:02.719 right stadium size to make it seem like, you know, it's that that 528 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:07.920 state atmosphere. It's got a brand new field to it. It has you 529 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:10.840 know, the connected you know, the connected facilities that you need to make 530 00:37:10.920 --> 00:37:15.119 that thing go. You know, I think it's a little under fifteen thousand 531 00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:19.840 and seeding capacity, So I don't think you're ever going to get into a 532 00:37:19.880 --> 00:37:23.519 situation where you're going to have sellout situations, but you're going to have some 533 00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:28.559 substantial crowds for some of those games to make it feel give that kind of 534 00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:31.360 environment. So I think that maybe kind of what they're going to to kind 535 00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:37.320 of meet that complaint about the University of Illinois kind of feeling like a you 536 00:37:37.400 --> 00:37:42.920 know, an empty cave for some of those games. But you know, 537 00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:45.840 that's that's kind of where I'm at. I wouldn't be surprised if they went 538 00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:49.719 in another direction. Like I said, I don't have all the data. 539 00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:52.800 I don't have all the information in front of me, you know, if 540 00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:55.440 you haven't figured it out. I'm a data guy, so I like to 541 00:37:55.559 --> 00:38:00.519 kind of have that thing before I go into kind of conclude. But I'm 542 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:05.400 really kind of getting a vibe from talking to some people not involved in the 543 00:38:05.480 --> 00:38:08.760 decision making process but close enough to it where I think they I feel like 544 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:14.840 they have a pretty good pulse of what may go into the decision making process 545 00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:20.199 that I think Illinois State is your favorite here. It would not also surprise 546 00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.639 me if it came back with a modification to continue to include the University of 547 00:38:24.679 --> 00:38:29.159 Illinois. Either I don't know what that would look like, but it wouldn't 548 00:38:29.159 --> 00:38:34.440 stun me either. I felt like there were a lot of really positive vibes 549 00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:39.239 in Champagne and I think and they shouldn't be related to one another, but 550 00:38:40.039 --> 00:38:45.519 in some ways they are. Basketball last spring was extremely positive as well. 551 00:38:45.800 --> 00:38:51.360 Like I was there, I was there the entire time everybody. Just to 552 00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:55.679 be clear, if someone, if anyone listening, you have, I hosted 553 00:38:57.039 --> 00:39:00.719 the same basketball tournament last year, I believe for the first I'm in comedy 554 00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:06.880 a lot. Yeah, early renovations. Yeah, so yeah, you know, 555 00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:09.280 it just it kind of feels like and some of this goes back to 556 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:14.440 the conversation we're having earlier in this podcast about coach Bielema and the vibe that 557 00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:20.440 they've kind of created down there. I don't know if the I say really 558 00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:24.840 wants to fully cut them out of this, you know, And I think 559 00:39:24.880 --> 00:39:29.000 this is a good place, a good place to end it on, because, 560 00:39:29.480 --> 00:39:32.679 Yeah, one of the major decisions, and one thing that we can't 561 00:39:32.679 --> 00:39:37.360 predict, only the people in the decision making process are is when they're going 562 00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:40.800 through these discussion with the different universities and you talk about the positive vibe and 563 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:45.119 the thing that you have, I have done to kind of improve improve the 564 00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:51.079 relationship is. Yeah, there is a lot of logistical things that go on 565 00:39:51.320 --> 00:39:53.960 behind the scenes between the I say, and a host site. So if 566 00:39:54.000 --> 00:40:00.039 they've I if they develop a working relationship with you will vie where they're like, 567 00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:04.960 this is really good, like this is easy isn't the right word, 568 00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:09.440 but things run smoothly the host, the host facility is responsive and taking care 569 00:40:09.480 --> 00:40:15.400 of issues. Maybe they're willing to make adjustments for something like that. Yeah, 570 00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:16.880 and look, we don't know the answer to that, but it's no 571 00:40:17.400 --> 00:40:21.480 you know, for me, it's like when we look at what ultimately is 572 00:40:21.480 --> 00:40:25.920 going to get decided, it could go one of you know, obviously four 573 00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:30.400 ways, but I think realistically it's probably gonna go one of three ways. 574 00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:37.360 But you know, in all of those situations, they at least some people, 575 00:40:37.480 --> 00:40:39.440 some people have knowledge of how it went when it was at issue. 576 00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:43.679 Obviously it's going to be different now. But um, you know, I'm 577 00:40:43.719 --> 00:40:49.800 a dinosaur. So I actually have seen state finals at I SUM and I'm 578 00:40:49.880 --> 00:40:53.039 expecting a different experience than what I had when I went to IU, just 579 00:40:53.239 --> 00:40:59.800 based on the improvements that have been made there. So you know, I'm 580 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:02.559 hoping that we have a similar type of opportunity like we did when they may 581 00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:07.000 change its state baskeketball, where we have the opportunity to ask some questions of 582 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:12.760 the process. Because there was a press conference after the basketball announcement, I'm 583 00:41:12.800 --> 00:41:15.039 hoping they have another one of those. I sort of expect that they will, 584 00:41:16.440 --> 00:41:20.840 so that maybe we'll get a few answers to some of these questions. 585 00:41:20.960 --> 00:41:23.719 But it should be very very interesting to see how it all ferrets out, 586 00:41:24.199 --> 00:41:28.599 and you know, if there's a modification, if there isn't, in which 587 00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:31.119 way this goes all right, Well, we should know the answer to the 588 00:41:31.199 --> 00:41:37.079 questions we've been answering or asking on this podcast within just a couple of days 589 00:41:37.119 --> 00:41:39.000 here, So stick with Friday Night Drive dot Com. We got full coverage 590 00:41:39.039 --> 00:41:42.639 for you. We'll have the news story as soon as it break, suits 591 00:41:42.800 --> 00:41:45.000 will have some analysis on it. A lot more coming at Friday Night Drive 592 00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:49.239 dot Com this week. We just started the nomination process for our Friday Night 593 00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:52.039 Drive Team of the Year, which will drop right after Christmas. That's another 594 00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:54.239 thing. You can shoot me a DM you got a player. If you're 595 00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:58.119 a coach listening this, you got a player you think deserves to be dominated 596 00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:00.719 for Team of the Year. Shoot me a message with staff. We'll get 597 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:04.599 him on that nomination forum for you. Those are available until December fifteenth. 598 00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:07.320 That's when we're going to close that out and get that team selected. But 599 00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:08.880 right now we're going to go ahead and sign off. Thank you again. 600 00:42:09.559 --> 00:42:12.880 Ended up going a lot longer than I planned to, but once we get 601 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:15.079 talking football, that tends to happen. So thank you everyone who's stuck with 602 00:42:15.159 --> 00:42:17.679 us. We hope you enjoy the show. We'll be back next week with 603 00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:22.000 another episode. We're gonna sign off. Make sure once again you stick to 604 00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:23.840 Friday Night Drive dot com. For Steve Susie, I am Kyle Neighbors. 605 00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:29.559 We will talk to you guys next week. Schweiker, Gannison, Krizak Rundio 606 00:42:29.639 --> 00:42:32.440 Proudley sponsors to Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike Krizak. If you've been injured, 607 00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:36.159 we are ready to take on the insurance company and get you to the 608 00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:38.880 end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. Visit 609 00:42:39.079 --> 00:42:42.639 GA Nassi n dot com.