MOLINE -- A Moline School District official said taxpayers are not subsidizing the upcoming Dual Team State Wrestling Championship and almost all of the costs will be covered by the Illinois High School Association.

The tournament has been moved from Northern Illinois University to Wharton Field House following the on-campus shooting at NIU last week that killed five students.

The tournament will be held Saturday.

The IHSA is giving the district 10 percent of the $7 admission fee, which is expected to raise much more than the $600 that non-profits pay to rent the 5,000-seat facility, said Dave McDermott, the Moline School District's chief financial officer.

The upper bowl of the arena -- the only area that will be used for spectator seating for this event -- will hold between 2,500 and 3,000 people. It is unknown how many will attend the event.

Non-profits also have to pay custodial costs, and the IHSA will be covering those costs, too, he said.

For-profit organizations pay $900 to use Wharton or give the district 10 percent of admissions, whichever is greater, plus custodial costs.

As with other events at Wharton, IHSA is not being charged for things such as utilities because those would be difficult to break out, Mr. McDermott said.

The Moline High School Booster Club will get to keep the $5 parking fees and the profits from the concessions. Mr. McDermott said the boosters provide the food, as well as the concession and parking lot volunteers, and put the profits back into athletic programs by buying things such as equipment and uniforms.

The boosters also plan to donate 50 percent of profits they receive from this event to the memorial fund for the shooting victims on the NIU campus, Mr. McDermott said.

The school district is liable if anyone is injured at the facility during the event, as it carries the insurance on Wharton. "We have the liability like any other athletic event we host," Mr. McDermott said.

Mr. Rosenthal said that the district and IHSA did not draw up a contract for the event but did finalize the arrangements with a handshake. Mr. McDermott said the district usually does not have contracts for school-sponsored events, and, in this case, the high school is sponsoring the tournament.

Non-school sponsored events have to have a contract and go before the school board for approval.

Mr. McDermott doesn't believe the taxpayers are subsidizing the tournament and said the real winners are residents.

"People are going to come and rent hotels and eat out while waiting for the wrestling activity. It is a community benefit, and receipts from admissions are going to cover the costs related to the event," he said.

"We look at this as a situation where the school district can help out the IHSA and still have a community benefit," Mr. McDermott added.

Moline High School athletic director Todd Rosenthal volunteered Wharton as a possible site last weekend at a tournament after a coach approached him to confirm that events were canceled on the college campus through Sunday.

Eight Class A teams and eight Class AA teams will be fighting for state championship titles.