CHAMPAIGN, IL – When the Big Ten Conference chose the 2018 Penn State at Illinois football game to be played on Friday, Sept. 21, the opportunity for eight local high school teams to play on Zuppke Field became a possibility.
University of Illinois officials contacted each Champaign County high school that sponsors football and had home games scheduled on Sept. 21 to gather interest, and four schools are moving their games to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 22.
The day kicks off at 10 am with Centennial playing Peoria Notre Dame. Game two will pit Unity against Olympia at 1 pm. The third game at 4 pm will see Urbana host Bloomington. And, the final game of the day will see Rantoul and St. Thomas More square off under the lights at 7 pm.
Tickets for all games are $5 and will be sold on game day at the west side doors of Memorial Stadium. All seating will be on the west side of stadium. Parking will be free, and tailgate parking will be allowed in the State Farm Center lots and Lot E14 (same as Lot 32 on Illini game days). Parking lots will open at 8:30 am, and doors to Memorial Stadium will open at 9 am. Fans may also use Grange Grove for tailgating opportunities, but alcohol will not be allowed in this area.
The IHSA Football State Championship games are also scheduled to be held at Memorial Stadium this fall on Nov. 23-24. Tickets for those games are available for purchase through the Illinois Ticket Office at State Farm Center and will go on sale later in the fall.
High School Football at Memorial Stadium | Saturday, Sept. 22
10 am – Peoria Notre Dame vs. Centennial
1 pm – Olympia vs. Unity
4 pm – Bloomington vs. Urbana
7 pm – St. Thomas More vs. Rantoul
Tickets: $5 available game day at doors on the west side of Memorial Stadium. Doors open at 9 am.
Parking: Free. Lots will open at 8:30 am. Tailgating allowed in State Farm Center parking lots and E-14 (same as Lot 32 on Illini game days), but alcohol is not allowed in these areas on Sept. 22 during the high school games.
Grange Grove: Grange Grove will be open for tailgating, but alcohol is not allowed in this area on Sept 22 during the high school games.
