NBCSportsChicago to air playoff pairings show again
The Illinois High School Association Football Playoff Pairing Show presented by Wintrust returns to NBC Sports Chicago for its eighth season in 2018. NBC Sports Chicago, the home of the #AuthenticFan, will air the show live on NBC Sports Chicago+ on Saturday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Viewers are urged to visit NBC Sports Chicago's "Channel Finder" page NBCSportsChicago.com/channel-finder for the exact NBC Sports Chicago+ channel locations in their area.
The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show, which will reveal the brackets and first round matchups of all 256 playoff qualifiers across eight classes, can also be viewed via livestream at NBCSportsChicago.com/WatchLive, on Facebook Live (Facebook.com/NBCSChicago), and will also be accessible for viewing to authenticated NBC Sports Chicago subscribers via the new MyTeams by NBC Sports app (MyTeams is available on iOS and Android devices, at no cost, to fans anywhere in the U.S. and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store).
"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 across all platforms on Saturday night," said Kevin Cross, Vice President of Content for NBC Sports Chicago.
NBC Sports Chicago anchor Leila Rahimi hosts the show and will be joined by a panel of experts on-set, including longtime IHSA TV announcer Dave Bernhard and Illinois high school football bracketologist Steve Soucie. IHSA TV veteran Camron Smith will break down each class with media members from around the state, including the Daily Herald's Kevin Schmit and NBC Sports Chicago 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, NBC Sports Chicago will be gathering team and fan reaction moments on Saturday from numerous school playoff pairing parties taking place that evening.
"This is one of the most anticipated nights of the year on the IHSA calendar," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "Student-athletes, coaches and communities around the state have put their hearts into the last nine weeks, and for 256 teams, it's an amazing chance to celebrate their accomplishments, while looking ahead to the path to the IHSA football state finals. We appreciate the time and effort that our partners at NBC Sports Chicago put into making this night so special."
The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show kicks off NBC Sports Chicago's playoff coverage of IHSA football, which culminates with all eight state title games being televised and streamed by NBC Sports Chicago on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 23-24), live from Memorial Stadium on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign.