The first game of the season is usually at the beginning of September and the last game of the regular season is usually in mid- November. Teams may have one or more weeks off during the regular season. Larger schools (especially those with programs successful) can often attract thousands of viewers, even for regular season games, and in some cases may play the game in a college or professional stadium to accommodate the large crowds expected. The vast majority of high school football games are scheduled for Friday nights, with Thursday nights and Saturdays being less used. Alternate days are more common in larger school districts, where facilities are used by multiple schools or where the playing field is not is illuminated for night use. Prior to the 1970s, many states crowned state champions for polls, but playoff systems have become almost universal since then and most states have steadily increased the number of teams eligible to participate and the total number of rankings. although the playoff schedule and the number of eligible teams vary, the champions regional teams will compete in elimination playoff rounds - in a tradition borrowed from professional football rather than college - to determine a state champion for each size rating. Only four states do not have a state champion (New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island) and only crown champions regional states. In many major cities, including Pittsburgh, Virginia Beach, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, public schools compete in their own "city leagues" and may or may not face opponents outside them. At the other extreme are states like Illinois or West Virginia, where no there are regional championships; the state playoffs are seeded in a state basis. Stuver Impact