FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 22nd, 2015
COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO TO AIR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE “IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRING SHOW” ON OCTOBER 24
CSN to carry LIVE announcement for every first round match-up on Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 PM CT; to also be streamed live on CSNChicago.com & IHSA.tv
Bloomington, IL/Chicago, IL (October 22, 2015) — The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show presented by Northern Illinois University returns to Comcast SportsNet Chicago for its fifth season in 2015. Comcast SportsNet Chicago, the television home for the most games and the most comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox, will produce the show in HD when it airs live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 24.
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 showcase two-straight hours of live, interactive coverage to our on-air and online viewers on Saturday night,” said Phil Bedella, VP/GM of Comcast SportsNet 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 Kelly Crull returns to host 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 and Rockford WTVO reporter 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, coach interviews and media analysis from all over the state. In addition, CSN camera crews will be roaming the “Land of Lincoln” Saturday catching live reactions from school playoff pairing parties.
“This is a highly anticipated evening all over the state and CSN has helped capture the aura around it,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “CSN has taken viewers from the annual Aquin chili cookoff in Freeport to the Tri-Valley team gathering at the fire station in Downs. Communities around the state will be celebrating the accomplishments of their student-athletes and coaches on Saturday, while dreaming about playing in DeKalb on Thanksgiving weekend.”
Saturday’s show also serves as a precursor for the exciting IHSA Football Playoff action that CSN will carry throughout the 2015 postseason. CSN will air one playoff game live during each of the first four rounds of the playoffs (Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21), building up to CSN carrying the eight state championship games live on Friday and Saturday, November 27-28.
The pairings show will be distributed to Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s entire viewing territory. Viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com to find the exact channel locations in their area.
Comcast SportsNet 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 the NBC Sports Group, consist of 11 regional networks that deliver more than 2,400 live sporting events annually, along with award-winning breaking news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming to more than 43 million homes. The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, which serves Baltimore and Washington D.C., Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, The Comcast Network, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and SportsNet New York. For more information, visit ComcastSportsNet.com. For more information about NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
####
