Benefits of District Format

[PC Dad_MC Grad]

For those confused and shocked, like myself, I can’t even follow all the discussions going on regarding this upcoming change. My head is spinning.

Is there anyone, or group, who can provide 3 or 4 simple bullets that summarize the benefits of districts? Anyone close to those who voted Yes who can assist in providing their anticipated benefits?

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[PC Dad_MC Grad]

To add, I read Dan Sharp’s pros and cons and I still don’t see overwhelming benefits. I must be missing something

 

[ramblinman]

Is there anyone, or group, who can provide 3 or 4 simple bullets that summarize the benefits of districts? Anyone close to those who voted Yes who can assist in providing their anticipated benefits?

Read Edgy's article about it and Dan Sharp's comments.

1. Playing regular season games against schools your own size. Imagine you are Lake Forest with an enrollment of 1611 students going up against the likes of Warren and Stevenson and their 4000+ enrollments every year.

2. Reduced travel for most schools. Imagine you are PC and you have to charter three or four buses to Wilmette every other year just for players, staff, and equipment. Oh wait...

3. Eliminate conference hopping in search of an easier road to the playoffs.

Surely you aren't going to miss traveling to Wilmette every other year to play a school more than twice your actual size?

 

[ramblinman]

To add, I read Dan Sharp’s pros and cons and I still don’t see overwhelming benefits. I must be missing something

I think you need to put yourself in the shoes of other schools that are sick of conference realignments, that have enrollment mismatches with conference opponents, and that already have long travel times within their conferences.

Look at Marian Central in Woodstock. Their closest conference opponent is Carmel Catholic at 25 miles away and second closest is St. Viator at 32 miles.

Look at Loyola. Our two closest CCL Blue opponents are St. Rita and Montini. We basically leap frog right over nearby 8A schools like Notre Dame College Prep and Maine South on our way to play our CCL Blue opponents.

 

[PC Dad_MC Grad]

Good points, I guess I’m looking for some big golden nuggets

 

[Cross Bones]

Good points, I guess I’m looking for some big golden nuggets

ADs no longer have to determine whether a new conference could benefit their programs. ADs no longer have to schedule since the non-district/exhibition games don't matter, pick opponents out of a hat.

 

[Gene K.]

Maybe we can get a 3-5 regular season record team to win a state championship. Wouldn't that be just ducky?

 

[Gene K.]

Who is in JCA's district in Soucies predicted alignment and in what class are they in?

 

[USD24]

Who is in JCA's district in Soucies predicted alignment and in what class are they in?

Class 5a

This would be JCAs district. Not many good matchups for the Hilltoppers. I also think it would be terrible for JCAs lower levels

District 4 (8): Chicago Heights (Marian Catholic), Country Club Hills (Hillcrest), Dolton (Thornridge), Joliet (Catholic), Olympia Fields (Rich Central), Park Forest (Rich East), Richton Park (Rich South), Tinley Park

 

[WIU78]

If this would have started with the haves trying to play more equal haves there would have been lawyers everywhere. Oh wait, this already happened in the SICA re-alignment years ago. Now because AD’s voted it in it is OK? The IHSA is a pitiful mess with this one decision today.

 

[Undercenter3rd1]

Can you go out of district and schedule games?Because there are some catholic schools will not be happy with no Catholic league opennant all season.

 

[No Bias---Just Reality]

Can you go out of district and schedule games?Because there are some catholic schools will not be happy with no Catholic league opennant all season.

You can play anyone you want weeks 1 and 2

 

[wasdo]

Ft his whole thing is BRAIN DEAD. ,

 

[CCLGUY1964]

Class 5a

This would be JCAs district. Not many good matchups for the Hilltoppers. I also think it would be terrible for JCAs lower levels

District 4 (8): Chicago Heights (Marian Catholic), Country Club Hills (Hillcrest), Dolton (Thornridge), Joliet (Catholic), Olympia Fields (Rich Central), Park Forest (Rich East), Richton Park (Rich South), Tinley Park

They go undefeated with those teams but are not prepared for the playoffs.

 

[stonedlizard]

They go undefeated with those teams but are not prepared for the playoffs.

And there's nothing they can do about it. It simply is what it is with districts.

 

[USD24]

They go undefeated with those teams but are not prepared for the playoffs.

As Sharp said, they can play anyone they want first two games. Schedule MC and PC or SHG.

But I completely agree with your point

 

[Hillini74]

Class 5a

This would be JCAs district. Not many good matchups for the Hilltoppers. I also think it would be terrible for JCAs lower levels

District 4 (8): Chicago Heights (Marian Catholic), Country Club Hills (Hillcrest), Dolton (Thornridge), Joliet (Catholic), Olympia Fields (Rich Central), Park Forest (Rich East), Richton Park (Rich South), Tinley Park

Just win another title and get success factored up to a 6A district.

 

[Hillini74]

Class 5a

This would be JCAs district. Not many good matchups for the Hilltoppers. I also think it would be terrible for JCAs lower levels

District 4 (8): Chicago Heights (Marian Catholic), Country Club Hills (Hillcrest), Dolton (Thornridge), Joliet (Catholic), Olympia Fields (Rich Central), Park Forest (Rich East), Richton Park (Rich South), Tinley Park

It might save Marian Catholic football!

 

[CCLGUY1964]

As Sharp said, they can play anyone they want first two games. Schedule MC and PC or SHG.

But I completely agree with your point

Why play anyone if the games don't count? How do you feel if you lose any players for the season who get hurt in meaningless games?

 

[ignazio]

The mother's club is now running the IHSA.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

It might save Marian Catholic football!

Class 5a

This would be JCAs district. Not many good matchups for the Hilltoppers. I also think it would be terrible for JCAs lower levels

District 4 (8): Chicago Heights (Marian Catholic), Country Club Hills (Hillcrest), Dolton (Thornridge), Joliet (Catholic), Olympia Fields (Rich Central), Park Forest (Rich East), Richton Park (Rich South), Tinley Park

Strangely, Soucie has JCA going east and Kankakee going with the 5A schools running from Morris to Geneseo basically along the I-80 corridor...Swap JCA & Kankakee and the districts make more sense.

 

[DHS2018]

2. Reduced travel for most schools. Imagine you are PC and you have to charter three or four buses to Wilmette every other year just for players, staff, and equipment. Oh wait...

It will be the exact opposite, travel will INCREASE because of this for most schools.

 

[MR. "T"]

What is the criteria that they will use to form the districts? Also I take it that enrollment obviously is the main parameter! So they really plan on taking the multiplier away from the non boundary schools if they didn’t win 3 playoff games in the previous 2 year period?

 

[JCHillmen]

As Sharp said, they can play anyone they want first two games. Schedule MC and PC or SHG.

But I completely agree with your point

It's all relative to district schedule. If in a tough district, schedule some cupcakes weeks 1 and 2. Since jc may be in a weak district, try to get two strong opponents to see what you need to work on. Injuries are possible against a poor opponent as well and they would have 7 weeks to heal up for the playoffs.

If JC can get MC, PC, Montini, Naz, SHG, or a larger public school to play then weeks1 and 2, then that makes a poor district schedule much more palatable even if the non district games dont mean anything.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

4A is going to take some effort...Soucie has 16 CPL teams in 4A.

One Soucie district is all 8 CPL teams...

One district has IC, Wheaton Academy, and Elgin St .Edward with 6 CPL...

One district has two CPL teams with Manteno, Coal City, Sandwich, Plano, Mendota, Kewanee, & Rock Falls...in what dimension would public league teams be in a district with Kewanee - between Peoria & the Quad Cities?

The next district has McNamara & Herscher, Prairie Central & Pontiac, Normal U-high, Chilicothe IVC, Peoria Manual & Canton (which is west of Peoria)...The core of this district is from the old Corn Belt, but logically why would Mac & Herscher be in a district with three schools in the Peoria area...

The next district has Hoopeston/Danville Schlarman co-op, bordering Indiana, with Quincy Notre Dame, along the Mississippi, at the widest point of the state...

The computer can really screw up travel time, or could clump instead of run across the state. I can hear the howling if the 16 CPL teams all get chopped into two districts of 8. Travel time and costs would skyrocket with Soucie's districts.

 

[rambler8155]

initial reaction is horrible.......... Good teams simply want to play other good teams.That is how you get ready for the playoffs and become better......not by having your schedule dictated by some guy worried about driving distances...I am open to listen to the pro and cons.........will need to read more..Initially it seams to me it means the death of the CCL? Which to me means some of the best teams in the state are playing weaker teams and weaker schedules ? Why would you do that if your are a CCL school? I think schools like LA have no problem driving to Gately - to play Mt Carmel - because they are 2 great teams playing each other getting better by doing that.....maybe I am missing the bigger picture.....

 

[crusader_of_90]

Free the NIPL!

 

[pjjp]

Steve Soucie's take:

https://www.theherald-news.com/2018...leaves-too-many-questions-unanswered/ax6e541/

 

[ramblinman]

Why play anyone if the games don't count? How do you feel if you lose any players for the season who get hurt in meaningless games?

Why NOT play anyone if the games don't count?

 

[Undercenter3rd1]

initial reaction is horrible.......... Good teams simply want to play other good teams.That is how you get ready for the playoffs and become better......not by having your schedule dictated by some guy worried about driving distances...I am open to listen to the pro and cons.........will need to read more..Initially it seams to me it means the death of the CCL? Which to me means some of the best teams in the state are playing weaker teams and weaker schedules ? Why would you do that if your are a CCL school? I think schools like LA have no problem driving to Gately - to play Mt Carmel - because they are 2 great teams playing each other getting better by doing that.....maybe I am missing the bigger picture.....

I agree it can not be the travel part,driving for one night to a game is acceptable for anyone who plays varsity football if you complain about travel then you are not sports moms and dads!They will try to match up teams by enrollment and that does not work just look at a school like Waukegan 4000 plus kids and can’t win

 

[RockSoup]

I see Illinois High School’s just running intramural sports in the future.

 

[jcrewx7]

Ohhhhhh boy. Two years of what if’s, and why us. I already have a headache!

 

[Hillini74]

I can't stand all this talk of the two non-district games not mattering. Is that the case for the regular season contests in literally EVERY other IHSA sport. If it's a competition you are playing to win. If there's teaching and learning taking place than the game matters and will have implications in the post season.

 

[stonedlizard]

I can't stand all this talk of the two non-district games not mattering. Is that the case for the regular season contests in literally EVERY other IHSA sport. If it's a competition you are playing to win. If there's teaching and learning taking place than the game matters and will have implications in the post season.

Not the case at all. Regular season competition, against conference and non-con teams in other sports directly impacts seeding for the playoffs.

While I don’t think this will lead to teams shying away from tough non-district competition, I can understand the “whats the point?” attitude.

 

[pjjp]

More opinions from downstate:

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/...hsa-football-moving-district-format-2021.html

 

[Hillini74]

Not the case at all. Regular season competition, against conference and non-con teams in other sports directly impacts seeding for the playoffs.

While I don’t think this will lead to teams shying away from tough non-district competition, I can understand the “whats the point?” attitude.

What about baseball and softball teams that play out of state on spring break trips, basketball teams that travel to national tournaments over the holidays? Wrestling squads going to North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, or Pennsylvania? Are they playing for seeding? Do those games matter?

 

[SWsuburbs4]

Why not have the 2 non-conference games go towards seeding in the playoffs, while the top 4 teams in each district still make the playoffs?

 

[caravan8]

If the districts look anything like what is being predicted than I don’t want to see anything less than a BR/LA/Naz/SR/Marist type program on the MC schedule weeks 1 & 2. I know teams evolve and playing those tough games week 1 & 2 won’t mean much come playoff time, but you have to have at least a couple rivalry games and some situations where you’re challenged.

 

[stonedlizard]

What about baseball and softball teams that play out of state on spring break trips, basketball teams that travel to national tournaments over the holidays? Wrestling squads going to North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, or Pennsylvania? Are they playing for seeding? Do those games matter?

You're moving the goal posts here.

 

[SOUTHSIDECFD]

Why NOT play anyone if the games don't count?

Does LA MC and SR play a round robin among each other and have two or three kids on crunches on each team or play cream puffs in meaningless games? Tell a parent their D-1 QB son or OL lineman's football career is over in a meaningless game that does not count.