Largest Holiday Tournament in Illinois to celebrate 41st year

The State Farm Holiday Classic (SFHC) will organize its 41^st tournament in 2019 with a field that includes two reigning state champions and 28 Regional winners from this past season. This annual event tips off Dec. 26, 27, 28 & 30, and will mark the 11th consecutive year the tournament will feature at least three state tournament trophy winners from the previous season.

Played across four venues in Bloomington-Normal, the SFHC is the largest co-ed high school holiday tournament in Illinois, and one of the largest in the nation. The tournament is divided into Small and Large School brackets for both boys’ and girls’ teams, and includes the two-day, 16-team Ron Knisley Memorial Shootout for Special Olympics teams.

Small School Boys Bracket

• State Champion: Chicago Providence St. Mel (Class 1A)
• Additional Regional Winners: Aurora Christian, Bloomington Central Catholic, El Paso-Gridley, Minonk Fieldcrest, Peoria Christian, Rock Falls, Winnebago
• Staying the Same: All 16 teams from 2018 will return to compete in this bracket for 2019

Large School Boys Bracket

• Sectional Winner: Normal University
• Regional Winners: Chicago North Lawndale, Machesney Park Harlem
• Staying the Same: All 16 teams from 2018 will return to compete in this bracket for 2019

Small School Girls Bracket

• State Trophy Winner: Class 2A third-place finisher St. Joseph-Ogden returns to take on one of the most competitive girls’ fields in the state
• Additional Sectional Winner: Kankakee Bishop McNamara
• Additional Regional Winners: Brimfield, Bloomington Central Catholic, Camp Pt. Central/Augusta Southeastern, Rock Falls, Rock Island Alleman, Sherrard
• Makin’ a move: Normal University will move back to this bracket after playing in the Large School field since 2007.

Large School Girls Bracket

• State Champion: Morton (Class 3A) – 2019 will mark the fifth consecutive year the defending IHSA Class 3A girls’ state champion has played in the SFHC (Morton in 2015-16-17 and Peoria Richwoods in 2018).
• Additional Sectional Winners: Rock Island, Wheaton Warrenville South
• Additional Regional Winners: Bethalto Civic Memorial, Canton, Chicago St. Ignatius, Normal Community, Peoria Richwoods
• New Teams: Chicago Marist, Kankakee and Regional champion New Lenox Lincoln-Way West join the field in 2019.

“Over the past six years, the Holiday Classic has featured 30 teams go on to win a state trophy, including 14 state champs,” said Tournament President Dan Highland. “The experience teams receive in Bloomington-Normal over the holidays goes a long way in preparing them for the postseason.”

More than just basketball

The State Farm Holiday Classic will again host the annual Ron Knisley Memorial Shootout in conjunction with the 64-team varsity tournament. The Shootout features various Special Olympics teams from across Illinois and will be played at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center.

Off the court, the Classic Tournament, Inc. has raised over $100,000 for the Holiday Classic Scholarship fund, and has awarded $52,000 in scholarships to graduating student-athletes who participated in the tournament. The 2019 scholarship award winners will be announced in April. In addition, the tournament has donated over $50,000 the past ten years to participating high school basketball programs in McLean County.