No school East St. Louis! Here’s how you can watch the Flyers’ state title run
East St. Louis School District 189 will be closed on Friday so students, staff and families can support the East St. Louis Flyers boys basketball team in the IHSA Class 3A State Tournament.
Superintendent Arthur R. Culver said the closure applies to all District 189 schools and that a make-up day will be scheduled later this school year.
He said enough teachers and support staff plan to attend the game that the district would not have enough substitutes “to ensure an orderly and productive school day.”
The Flyers will face Chicago Leo at 11:45 a.m. Friday at the State Farm Center in Champaign in the Class 3A state semifinals. According to the IHSA schedule, that contest is Game 2, following a 10 a.m. Game 1.
Fans can purchase tickets online by visiting the State Farm Center website and going to the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals event page.
Spectator parking is $15 per day in the four lots adjacent to the State Farm Center or in Lot E14 across the street. Fans should enter through the East or West main doors and review the arena’s policies, including a clear-bag requirement.
For fans who can’t make the trip to Champaign, the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals will be carried on the IHSA TV Network and streamed on the NFHS Network. A full list of participating TV affiliates and details on how to access the NFHS livestream can be found on the IHSA’s website.
Access to the NFHS Network costs $13.99 for a monthly pass, which allows you to watch all games live and on-demand. It can be cancelled at any time. A year-long pass is $79.99.
If East St. Louis wins Friday, the Flyers will play for the Class 3A state championship at 4 p.m. Saturday. If they lose, they will play in the third-place game at 7 p.m. Friday. Both games will be at the State Farm Center.
“Thank you for your continued support of our students and our schools,” Culver said. “Go Flyers!”
This story was produced with assistance from AI and reviewed by BND journalists.