Carmel and Carl Schurz High School drew an estimated 50,000 fans; the largest crowd to see a prep football contest in American history up to that time.
In 1930, a Public League championship at Soldier Field effectively substituted for the inter-league matchup, with 20,000 spectators attending it.
[9][10] The game took on the name "Prep Bowl" in 1947,[10] with Kelly leaving office earlier that year having not sought reelection in the 1947 Chicago mayoral election.
Shortly after his 1976 death, the city ceased sponsoring the event, and attendance began to drop.
[10] The advent of the state high school football playoffs further contributed to the decline in interest in the Prep Bowl.
The city government helped to keep the game at Soldier Field after it was considered moving it to Gately Stadium.
[8] In 1999, Dick Jauron, coach of the Chicago Bears, promised several of his players would be present at the game.
However, in 2015, unable to afford Chicago Park District rental fees, the game was moved away from Soldier Field.
[13] Television was regularly blamed with causing as much as a 20,000 decrease in annual attendance at the games compared to the pre-television era.