MEDIA INFORMATION                                                                     

November 17, 2007

Contact: Jason Wille, Sports Information Director

E–Mail: jwille@ihsaa.org

FIELD SET FOR 35TH ANNUAL FOOTBALL STATE FINALS

Friday, November 23, 2007

Class A: Sheridan (14-0) vs. Rockville (14-0). 3:30 pm ET

Class 2A: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (10-4) vs. Heritage Christian (13-1). 7 pm ET

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Class 3A: South Bend St. Joseph’s (12-2) vs. Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (11-3). 12 pm ET

Class 4A: Lowell (13-1) vs. Evansville Reitz (14-0). 3:30 pm ET

Class 5A: Carmel (12-2) vs. Pike (14-0). 7:05 pm ET

WHERE: RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Capacity: 57,890 | www.iccrd.com

TICKETS: $10.00 per day; All seats are general admission. Tickets may be purchased at participating schools the week prior to the state finals. Contact schools for ticket distribution hours. Tickets also will be available game day at the RCA Dome Box Office which is located on the east side of the venue at street level along Capitol Avenue.

GATES OPEN: The RCA Dome will open its gates to fans beginning one hour prior to kickoff of the first game each day. On Friday, gates will open at 2:30 pm ET and on Saturday at 11 am ET.

TEAM INFORMATION: Please note that a packet of information containing rosters, stats and results on all 10 state finalist teams will be e-mailed to the IHSAA media list sometime late Monday afternoon.

TELEVISION: All five state championship games will be broadcast live throughout the state by the Indiana Cable Network which consists of Comcast, Bright House Networks and Insight cable systems. A list of channels and markets will be available at ihsaa.org later this week.

WEBCAST: For the first time, all five state championship games will be webcast in live audio and video and available around the globe at ihsaasports.org.

RADIO: The IHSAA Championship Radio Network will be broadcasting all five games to affiliates statewide. A detailed list of markets and frequencies will be available at ihsaa.org later this week.

SOUVENIR PROGRAMS: $3.00 per copy, available at the event. $5.00 by mail. To pay by Visa or MasterCard, contact the IHSAA at 317-846-6601 (M-F, 8-4 pm ET).

LODGING: For those interested in making hotel reservations in Indianapolis during the state finals, visit the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association at indy.org or call 800-974-INDY Monday through Friday (Closed Thursday for Thanksgiving).

MEDIA HOSTS: IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille, Communications Director Chris Kaufman along with assistants Mike Wilson and Nik Busch will be on hand to assist in your coverage of this year’s state finals.

MEDIA CREDENTIALS: For media outlets intending to cover the football state finals, please fax a credential request on company letterhead to IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at 317-575-4244. Please include the names of the working individuals representing your organization. The deadline for requests is 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Credentials will not be granted after that time. Approved requests will be available for pickup at the state finals coaches meeting on Monday, Nov. 19 (please indicate your intentions to do so), otherwise they will be available at media will-call on Senate Avenue on the south side of the RCA Dome on game day. Credentials will not be mailed.

PARKING: There is no designated parking area for media for this event. There are numerous other parking options within walking distance of the Dome. Map: www.iccrd.com/dome/parking.aspx

MEDIA WILL-CALL: If not claimed at Monday’s coaches interview session, approved credential requests will be available for pickup at media will-call at the RCA Dome on game day. Media will-call will be located at a mobile building located on Senate Avenue (a.k.a. 12th Man Alley) on the south side of the RCA Dome and will open at 1 pm ET on Friday and 9:30 am ET on Saturday. Please have identification available.

MEDIA ENTRANCE: Credentialed media may enter the RCA Dome off of Senate Avenue on the facility’s south side. Please be prepared to have bags and equipment checked by security officials. Doors will open at 1 pm ET on Friday and 9:30 am ET on Saturday. The entrance is at Field Level of the facility. To access the broadcast booths and press box, please take the elevator to those respective levels.

SEAT ASSIGNMENTS: With the exception of the Associated Press and Indianapolis Star who have permanent lines installed, an open seating policy will be used in the press box. Booth assignments for television, radio and internet broadcasters will be posted at the broadcast level of the facility. Any overflow seating will be available in the upper level press box.

WIRELESS INTERNET: Wireless internet access is available in the RCA Dome for a fee of $14.95 per 24 hours and payable by credit card. Log-in instructions are posted throughout the press box.

BROADCAST PHONE LINES: Electronic media requiring phone line installation should contact Pat Hull at AT&T no later than Monday (Nov. 19) to make arrangements – 317-265-7456.

POOL TELEPHONES: Pool phones for filing purposes will be available in the press box. Only credit card and 800 number calls can be made from those phones.

TEAM BENCH AREA: All credentialed media will have access to field level. However, we solicit cooperation in keeping the sidelines as clean as possible during the games. The defined team bench area between the 25-yard lines is a restricted area. Your cooperation is appreciated. During the games, all media personnel must observe the field markings at the RCA Dome and work behind the white-painted area that is approximately two yards wide around the perimeter of the field on the sides and in the end zones. Photographers may work from the end zone to the 25-yard-line at each end of the field from either sideline.

HOSPITALITY: The IHSAA will provide a hospitality area with food and drinks on Friday and Saturday in the Press Box and Broadcast levels for all credentialed personnel.

GAME DAY WEBSITE UPDATES: Scores will be updated at the end of each quarter of play on the IHSAA website at ihsaa.org. Final box scores, play-by-play along with a recap will be posted as soon as possible after the conclusion of each championship game.

LIVE TELEVISION CUT-INS: Spot news reports showing live game action are prohibited. Stand-up reports for newscasts are permitted from inside the dome provided that no live action is shown.

POST-GAME GUIDELINES: Due to contractual obligations, the IHSAA Television and Radio network personnel will have priority in conducting interviews with coaches and players on the field immediately following each game. If time permits before the awards ceremony, additional interviews may be conducted with the assistance of IHSAA media stewards. Otherwise, all interviews will be conducted off the field following the awards ceremony and team photograph session. We solicit your continued cooperation with this policy in order to continue on-the-field post-game access in the future. The post-game ceremonies order will be as follows:

• Mental Attitude Award presentation

• Runner-Up medals and trophy presentation

• Championship medals and trophy presentation

• Team Photographs by Visual Sports Network

NO CHILDREN, PLEASE – With the exception of high school students representing their school’s newspaper, yearbook, radio or television station, and who have a team participating, no young people or children will be issued media credentials or be allowed in the working media area.

VALPARAISO’S BOB PARKER TO BE HONORED AS TOP OFFICIAL

In a special ceremony at halftime of the 4A championship game, Bob Parker will be honored as the 2007 recipient of the Interscholastic Officials Association Award for football.

The IHSAA, in cooperation with the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association, recognizes and honors an outstanding official in 11 sports during the school year.

A resident of Valparaiso, Parker has held a football officials license for 29 years working 24 sectionals as well as 20 regionals, eight semi-states and has earned assignments to the state finals on three occasions.

Parker was selected for this award by a committee of representatives from the 26 officials associations throughout the state of Indiana. He was nominated by his peers in the Lake County Athletic Officials Association (LCAOA).

While a member of the LCAOA, Parker has served as the Football Chairperson and on the Board of Directors. He has also served as the Secretary and Regional Director for the Indiana Football Officials Association (IFOA), has been the Head Clinician for the IFOA at is annual clinic since 2003, and was the IHSAA’s Certification Head Clinician in 2001, 2003, and 2005. In addition, he also served as an NCAA football official from 1990-2004, officiating several NCAA Div. III and NAIA playoff games.

Professionally, Parker has been employed as an attorney by Burke Costanza & Cuppy LLP in Merrillville for 30 years. He is a graduate of Munster High School, the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1974 in Government and International Relations, and Indiana University where he earned his JD in 1977. He has two daughters, Leslie, 22 and Bridget, 18.

IHSAA 07-08/16