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IHSA Playoffs

The IHSA State Series is the official postseason competition for high school sports in Illinois, organized and governed by the Illinois High School Association. These playoffs determine regional, sectional, and ultimately state champions in each sport across different divisions.

How it Works

Regular season performance determines whether a team qualifies for the playoffs. In some sports, win-loss records and power rankings are used to seed teams. Once qualified, teams enter a bracketed, single-elimination tournament. Some sports have qualifying meets. Each round narrows the field until the state championship game or meet, where the top teams or individuals in Illinois compete for the title.

Playoffs typically progress through the following rounds:

Playoff Round Structure & Location
Regional
  • Hosted by local high schools assigned by the IHSA.
  • ETHS may host a regional or travel to another school, depending on the bracket.
  • Opponents are usually from nearby schools within the same classification (based on school size).
Sectional

  • Winners from Regionals advance to the Sectional round, which may also be hosted by a school in the bracket.

  • In some sports, multiple Sectional games are played at one location; in others, hosting duties rotate depending on the bracket.
Super-Sectional
If applicable

  • In certain sports (e.g., basketball, soccer), there’s an additional round before State Finals called Super-Sectionals.

  • These are typically played at a neutral site selected by IHSA, often halfway between the competing schools.
State Finals

  • State Final events are hosted at IHSA-designated championship venues, which generally remain the same year to year. Examples: 

    • Football: Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois, Champaign)

    • Swimming & Diving: FMC Natatorium (Westmont)

    • Track & Field: Eastern Illinois University

    • Basketball: State Farm Center (Champaign)
What Families Should Know
  • Game admission and ticketing for IHSA postseason events are handled by the IHSA—not the host school.

  • Tickets for postseason games are typically sold through the IHSA or the host site, not ETHS. Booster passes and ETHS Staff IDs are not valid for free entry, even when competitions are hosted at ETHS.

  • Travel distances may increase with each playoff round, especially for Sectionals, Super-Sectionals, and State Finals.
  • ETHS provides transportation to all IHSA playoff competitions for participating student-athletes. For multi-day State Final events that require overnight stays, lodging and meals are also provided by the school.
  • ETHS Athletics communicates game details (location, time, transportation, ticket info) as soon as they are confirmed.
Additional Information

IHSA