Nazareth Academy’s Jaden Fauske (3) climbs up into the stands after beating Joliet Catholic in the Class 5A state championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Each year I cover the IHSA football state finals I’ve tried to capture photos showing the amount of fans each school brings to the game. Partially because someone is always claiming their school brought the most fans and because even if the IHSA released attendance numbers, they could never break it down by school.
Mount Carmel fans in the Class 7A state championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
So below I give you photos of each schools’ seating section from 1A to 8A.
I take each image at the start of the 2nd quarter, because most if not all of a school’s fans are there and there is typically very few fans that early for the next game. I also try to shoot both sides and all games from roughly the same location, somewhere between the 10 & 25-yard line.
Note: The home stands at ISU’s Hancock Stadium have a lower two-to-three rows that looks like VIP seating right along the field. They were often filled with the more densely pack standing student cheering section.
Nazareth fans in the Class 5A state championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.Byron fans in the Class 3A state championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
1A
Camp Point Central
Class 1A state championship game Camp Point Central side at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
Lena-Winslow
Class 1A state championship game Lena-Winslow side at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
against Downers Grove North in the Class 7A state championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Downers Grove North
Class 7A state championship game Downers Grove North at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.