WW South game vs. Maine South to be on ESPNU

Wheaton Warrenville South's football team is going nationwide.

Athletic director Mike Healy and coach Ron Muhitch confirmed Thursday that the Tigers' Week 2 game against Maine South will be broadcast on ESPNU. Instead of a night game, they'll play at 4 p.m. on Sept. 3 at Red Grange Field.

"It's officially on," Healy said. "There were some glitches and things that changed, and that's why we didn't want to say anything until it was official."

Healy said the school was approached in April about appearing on the national network as part of a season-long schedule of high school games on ESPN's major channels.

The WW South-Maine South game, a showdown between last season's Class 7A and 8A state champions, will be the only game televised by ESPN featuring Illinois schools.

"It's a great opportunity for us, but I also think it's a great opportunity for Illinois high school football," Muhitch said. "We play a great brand of football in this state, and I'm not sure it's realized throughout the country."

WW South suffered its lone loss last year to Maine South, a 27-9 nonconference defeat, on its path to the 7A title. The Hawks enter this season riding a 28-game winning streak as the two-time defending Class 8A champions.

Although both teams have season openers to prepare for, the buildup to the ESPNU game already has begun. The players need to fill out questionnaires that broadcasters will reference during the game, and a network surveyor was at WW South to begin plotting out the telecast.

The event definitely will add some spice to what was already expected to be an exciting season for the Tigers.

"It's great for the kids to be able to play live on national television," Healy said. "It's a great opportunity to showcase the program and the school."