Today's topic: The Big 12 Conference will hold its 73rd and final wrestling tournament Saturday in Bloomington. Here are five other high school sports events staff writer Jeff Huth hopes will continue to be held in our area:

No. 1

IHSA football championships

The annual state title games have been a fixture at Memorial Stadium in Champaign every Thanksgiving weekend since 1999. Beginning in 2013, however, the University of Illinois venue will host this event only in even-numbered years. The change is tied to the Big Ten's expansion to 12 schools and its decision to schedule football games each Thanksgiving weekend beginning in 2013. The IHSA football championships are one of the state prep group's two marquee events — along with boys' basketball — and have helped fill an economic and sports entertainment void created by the move of the boys' basketball championships from Champaign to Peoria in 1996. The IHSA is committed to holding its football finals at Memorial Stadium every other year through 2020. The question then will be, is the IHSA still satisfied with this arrangement or will it decide a permanent home outside of C-U is in the event's best interests?

No. 2

Shootout at the Hall

This C-U-hosted event appeared to be on firm ground last fall as it approached its sixth annual edition. Then word came that the NCAA had adopted legislation that forced organizers to scramble at the last minute to line up a new venue. Instead of the Assembly Hall, the event was shifted to Parkland College. The new legislation prohibits basketball events involving prospective student-athletes from being held on a college campus if it is organized by a non-scholastic organization, such as the Champaign County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The event could take place if it was organized and run by one or more high schools. A primary attraction of the event is that it brings multiple Illini signees and commitments — as well as UI recruiting targets — to Champaign, providing fans with a view of players they otherwise might not see. The Assembly Hall setting certainly also is part of the attraction. Will the Shootout survive this setback? Stay tuned.

No. 3

Vermilion County basketball tournaments

This event makes the list for the astounding longevity of the boys' portion of the tournament. The 93rd edition of the county tournament wrapped up last weekend at David S. Palmer Arena in Danville. Talk about history, memories and staying power. The girls are steadfastly building their own legacy, too, holding their 32nd annual county tournament last week. This showcase for small-school basketball is a testament to the sport's importance to the identity of Vermilion County communities. Do the math and you'll figure out that this event is on track to mark its 100th anniversary in 2019. Remarkable.

No. 4

IHSA individual wrestling championships

The IHSA disappointed plenty of folks — not only in C-U but around the state — when it moved the boys' basketball finals to Peoria. When it comes to wrestling, however, the organization remains faithful to Champaign. This event has been held at the Assembly Hall every year since 1973. In fact, the Hall is one of four sites in Champaign-Urbana that have periodically hosted the state wrestling meet during its long history. And, as things currently stand, there are no signs the IHSA has any serious inclination to move it elsewhere. The state has a long established reputation as a prime producer of prep wrestling talent, and the Assembly Hall provides a big-time venue and atmosphere to showcase it. As long as the university remains an attentive host, this event appears safe from potential suitors in other communities.

No. 5

News-Gazette Honor Roll track and field meets

We're putting this event on the list because it's a showcase for the area's best of the best in the sport. A chance for small-school standouts to put their talents to the test against their big-school counterparts. In most sports, such matchups are an ever-growing rarity — or nonexistent — as regular season schedules stratify according to enrollments. And, of course, the IHSA's postseason championships typically are divided into enrollment-based classifications. For one evening each spring — usually at the UI Track and Soccer Complex, but occasionally at area high school sites — this meet tears down those barriers. And based on the event's longevity, area track programs welcome the opportunity. Last year's Honor Roll meets marked the event's 30th anniversary.