FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 19th, 2016
CSN CHICAGO TO AIR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE “IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRING SHOW” ON OCTOBER 22
CSN to carry LIVE announcement for every first round match-up on Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 PM CT; to also be streamed live on CSNChicago.com & IHSA.tv
Bloomington, IL/Chicago, IL (October 19, 2016) — The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show returns to CSN Chicago for its sixth season in 2016. CSN Chicago, the home for the most games and the most comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox, will air the show LIVE from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 22.
The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show, which will reveal the brackets and first round match-ups of all 256 playoff qualifiers across eight classes, can also be viewed via live interactive stream on the internet at IHSA.tv and CSNChicago.com.
“The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show’ continues to be one of the most highly-anticipated events in the state of Illinois and we couldn’t be prouder to once again showcase two-straight hours of live, interactive coverage to our on-air and online viewers on Saturday night,” said Phil Bedella, VP/GM of CSN Chicago. “This show is the perfect precursor to kick off our IHSA Football season, which includes four live playoff battles, along with live coverage of all eight championship match-ups.”
CSN anchor Leila Rahimi hosts the show and will be joined by a panel of experts on-set, including long-time IHSA TV announcer Dave Bernhard and Kankakee Daily Journal sportswriter and Illinois high school football bracketologist Steve Soucie. IHSA TV veteran Matt Rodewald will breakdown each class with media members from around the state, including CSN prep football expert “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran. Viewers are encouraged to interact with the show and ask questions to be answered during the program by utilizing the Twitter hashtag #IHSAbrackets.
The program will once again feature highlights, coaches interviews and media analysis from all over the state. In addition, CSN will be gathering teams & fan reaction moments throughout the “Land of Lincoln” on Saturday from numerous school playoff pairing parties taking place that evening.
“The Football Playoff Pairing Show on CSN Chicago is one of the most anticipated IHSA events of the year,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “As a former high school football coach in the state, I can vividly recall the excitement that built throughout the day as we waited to find out our playoff fate. We appreciate the time and effort that our partners at CSN Chicago put into making this night so special for the players and coaches.”
Saturday’s show also serves as a kick-off for the exciting IHSA Football Playoff action that CSN will carry throughout the 2016 postseason. CSN will air one playoff game live during each of the first four rounds of the playoffs (Oct. 28, Nov. 5, 12, 19), building up to CSN carrying the eight state championship games live on Friday and Saturday, November 25-26.
The pairings show will be distributed to CSN Chicago’s entire viewing territory. Viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com to find the exact channel locations in their area.
CSN Chicago, a partnership between the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB) and the NBC Sports Group, features over 275 live pro games in high definition each year. In addition, CSN delivers extensive pre/post-game coverage for its core pro team partners, as well as the Chicago Bears, along with Emmy Award-winning regional sports news and analysis via SportsNet Central and SportsTalk Live. Through the network’s growing digital platform, CSNChicago.com, Chicago sports fans tap into the most comprehensive and dedicated 24/7 online destination for breaking news, up-to-the-minute game previews/recaps, highlights, multimedia video clips, blogs and standout coverage from CSNChicago.com’s team of “Insiders.” Follow the network on Twitter via @CSNChicago.
NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of NBC Sports Group, consists of 10 regional networks that deliver more than 2,200 live sporting events annually, along with award-winning news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming to more than 43 million homes. The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: CSN Bay Area, CSN California, CSN Chicago, CSN Mid-Atlantic, CSN New England, CSN Northwest, TCN, CSN Philadelphia and SNY. For additional information, visit CSN.com. For more information on NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios, headshots and logos, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
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