It will play in Peoria

PEORIA — The IHSA state basketball series signed a five-year extension to remain in Peoria, according to a report published in Tuesday’s Peoria Journal Star.

The extension will keep the state finals at Carver Arena until 2015.

Princeton Tigers head basketball coach Jesse Brandt said that while he was not originally a fan of the state series moving from its original home in Champaign to Peoria in 1995, that Peoria has been a good home to “America’s Original March Madness” since taking over.

“I think they’ve done a good job,” Brandt said. “They have lots of stuff for the kids with the (March Madness) experience. They’ve really made it fan and family friendly.”

According to a source speaking on the condition of anonymity to the Journal Star, IHSA administrators were pleased with the way Peoria has embraced the tournaments and saw no good reasons to move. Due to the apparent satisfaction with Peoria as a host site, the IHSA did not seek bids from other sites before awarding Peoria the extension.

The extension marks the third time the IHSA has re-upped with Peoria since the move from Champaign.