IHSA Football State Finals Biggest Fan Section 2024

Althoff Catholic players greet their fans after beating Lena-Winslow in the Class 1A state championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday, Nov. 19, 2024  (Photo copyright of Vincent D. Johnson)

Every time I cover an 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, it would only be broken down by class or day, not by schools. Football also has a much more defined seating arrangement than other sports. You’re either on one side or the other.

Below are some thoughts from being on the field. And of course the photos from each game.

Following a trend of the largest public schools typically bringing the largest crowds. The Dukes of York could actually get their stands to make some serious noise when they raised their hands in the Class 8A state championship game against Loyola at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson)

There’s a formula behind the photos

I take each image at the start of the 2nd quarter, because most if not all of a school’s fans have arrived and there are 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 40s & 50-yard line.

Special note about ISU’s home-side stands. The lowest four-row section is separated by a partition wall. This area has usually been where the more densely pack standing student cheering section is. Because of this, students tend to spread out along those first four rows. Unlike the visitor stands which are open from top to bottom and students tend to cram in vertically. While both stands start around the goal line of the north end zone, the home stands end along the back line of the south end zone, while the visitor stands end at the goal line.

Looking below you can see the Loyola students stop after 4 rows, but they continued on from the 50 to about the 20-yard line.

Loyola Academy’s student section in the Class 8A state championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

York’s student section, which was without a doubt the largest of the weekend, was packed in, but only stretched from the 40-yard line to about the 25.

The York student section in the Class 8A state championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

1A

Lena-Winslow

Althoff Catholic

Althoff stands in the Class 1A state championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday, Nov. 19, 2024.

To view more photos from the 1A State Finals between Althoff and Lena Winslow, click here.
Or photos from LeWin’s 2021 & 2023 state title games.

2A

Chicago Christian

Maroa-Forsyth

To view more photos from the 2A State Finals between Maroa-Forsyth and Chicago Christian, click here.
Also, photos from Chicago Christian’s quarterfinal game against Bismark-Henning.

3A

Monticello

Montini

To view more photos from the 3A State Finals between Monticello and Montini, click here.

4A

DePaul Prep

Mt.Zion

To view more photos from the 4A State Finals between Mt.Zion and DePaul Prep, click here.
Bonus gallery: Photos from Mt.Zion’s basketball Semifinal in 2023.

5A

Joliet Catholic

Nazareth Academy

To view more photos from the 5A State Finals between Joliet Catholic and Nazareth Academy, click here.
Or photos from 2023 Finals JCA vs Naz, JCA’s 2021 state final & Naz’s 2022 State final

6A

East St. Louis

Geneva

To view more photos from the 6A State Finals between East St. Louis and Geneva, click here.
East St.Louis bonus galleries: 2023 State Final & 2021 State Final.

7A

Mount Carmel

Batavia

To view more photos from the 7A State Finals between Mount Carmel and Batavia, click here.
Or other Mount Carmel games some as far back as 1996.

8A

York

Loyola

To view more photos from the 8A State Finals between York and Loyola Academy, click here.
Loyola Bonus Galleries: 2024 Semifinal, 2022 State Finals & 2023 State Finals