There’s a slight but potentially major change in WPIAL football championship destinations in 2024.
Acrisure Stadium has hosted all but the Class-5A and 6A championships in recent seasons, barring the COVID-19-impacted season in 2020 which impacted all classes, but that’s going to change in 2024. The Class-1A, 2A, 3A and 5A championships will be held at Acrisure Stadium this year.
The Class-4A and 6A championships will be held at Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, Pa. It’s the first year that Class-4A will be held at Norwin.
Norwin is slated to host the 4A and 6A on Saturday, Nov. 16 while Acrisure is slated to host 1A, 2A, 3A and 5A on Friday, Nov. 22.
Acrisure Stadium is the biggest stage in Western Pennsylvania, and while it’s not necessarily that important where a title game kicks off, it does matter to the student-athletes. It’s a memory that lasts a lifetime for many of the kids competing.
Norwin Knights Stadium is nice, but it doesn’t quite have the same appeal as the home of the Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s not too far from how the PIAA moved the PIAA championships games from Hersheypark Stadium over the last couple of seasons.
The WPIAL is coming off a year in which Fort Cherry knocked off South Side, 42-28, in the 1A title game, Beaver Falls knocked off Steel Valley, 14-12, in the 2A title and Belle Vernon (who has been reclassified to class-4A) knocked off Avonworth knocked off Avonworth, 26-0, in the 3A title.
Aliquippa defeated McKeesport, 35-21, in the 4A title, which was held at Acrisure Stadium but will move to Norwin Knights Stadium in 2024.
Peters Township took down Pine-Richland, 43-17, in the 5A title at Acrisure Stadium, and North Allegheny took down Central Catholic, 44-41, in the 6A title at Norwin Knights Stadium.
Belle Vernon and Aliquippa (who will square off in a season opener this season) eventually brought home PIAA titles in Class-3A and 4A, respectively. Fort Cherry, Peters Township and North Allegheny fell in their respective state title matchups.
Beaver Valley fell to City League power Westinghouse in the semifinals of the Class-2A PIAA playoffs.
