City-Suburban Showdown Moves to Proviso West

The City-Suburban Showdown on Feb. 18 officially has been moved from the UIC Pavilion to Proviso West.

The change of venue was a result of an NCAA bylaw, which prohibits non-scholastic organizations from hosting high school basketball games at Division I venues.

For those wondering the reason why Loyola University was able to host the Loyola-St. Ignatius doubleheader in December, it was because the games were put on by the high schools. The City-Suburban Showdown is run by the Integrity Group.

According to a press release, the lineup and times remain the same:

St. Rita vs. New Trier, 4:30 p.m.

Warren vs. Proviso East, 6:30 p.m.

De La Salle vs. Simeon, 8:30 p.m.

According to ESPNChicago, last year’s City-Suburban Showdown drew more than 8,000 fans. Proviso West holds less than 2,500.

Here’s another headache: Fans who already purchased tickets for the games need to contact either the schools, the UIC box office or Ticketmaster to receive a full refund. Information on tickets for the Proviso West affair will be announced soon.