IESA Headlines

New State Final Program Format Launches in 2006-07

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) and Royal Publishing enter into the second year of their extended partnership in producing the official programs for all IESA state final events. This year they launch a new system of publishing the state final programs in boys baseball, girls basketball, boys basketball and girls volleyball.

One expanded program will be printed to include all teams in the three-class boys baseball state series. In girls basketball, boys basketball and girls volleyball, a Seventh Grade program will be printed and an Eighth Grade program will be printed. Each program will combine the information about all the teams competing in each of the four classes into a single publication.

Since the 2001-02 school year, Peoria-based Royal Publishing has printed and sold all the ads in the official programs for IESA athletic and activity state final events. The partnership continues through the 2009-10 school year.

"The official program at each of our state final events is an essential part of the state final experience," said IESA Executive Director Steve Endsley. "The programs provide valuable information about the schools and the competition in the state finals. They also are a wonderful form of recognition for our students, and can be that perfect souvenir of a significant moment in their lives. In fact, parents, relatives and friends can show their support of their team and students with their own personalized ad in the respective programs. That is something unique that Royal Publishing brings to the table in our partnership."

Royal Publishing produces the IESA State Final Programs and sells the ads that appear in them. Please contact Tanya Hollingsworth at Royal Publishing for details. You may call her at (800) 397-5834, Ext. 202.

Parents, fans and/or the school or school booster club may purchase an advertisement in the printed program. The cost varies according to the size of the ad. Deadline for ordering an ad depends on the event. Tuesday of the week of the State Final is the deadline in many of the state final events, but for girls and boys basketball, it is Thursday the week of the state final. The event specific deadline is published in the IESA Fan Zone on the IESA Web Site at www.iesa.org. Click on the Fan Zone icon on the upper left side of the home page and then go to the state final of interest for details.

In the upcoming 2006-07 school term, there will be 14 different programs printed. In team tournaments, the programs contain a photograph of each participating team, properly identified, along with a full roster. In the respective individual sport/activity events, complete bracket pairings, heat assignments, or other event specific data is published. In all programs, the respective all-time records and other historical information is published.

Following are the deadlines for securing an ad in the official program for each IESA state final event: