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Eliminating North and South in 5a and 6a

1 to 32 would be fine in my opinion. After all, it IS the state of Illinois playoffs, not some other bordering state. If Carbondale got seeded to play at Chicago DuSable, it's not like they'd be playing in the Wisconsin state playoffs. Both teams are somewhat the same in enrollment and belong to the IHSA (not the WIAA).
 
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1 to 32 would be fine in my opinion. After all, it IS the state of Illinois playoffs, not some other bordering state. If Carbondale got seeded to play at Chicago DuSable, it's not like they'd be playing in the Wisconsin state playoffs. Both teams are somewhat the same in enrollment and belong to the IHSA (not the WIAA).
Explain that to downstate people and they will kill you
 
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Here is what 4A would look like, seems fine

Bracket order... seeded 1-32 and then guesses at how the bracket might play out

IVC at Herscher
Taylorville at Alton Marquette
BMD at Rochester
Coal City at Mt Zion

Greenville at Althoff
Richmond Burton at Canton
Wheaton Academy at Breese Central
Watseka at Columbia

Marengo at Johnsburg
Dixon at South Shore
Kewanee at ACC
Civic Memorial at Phillips

Carterville at Genoa-K
Manteno at Plano
West Frankfort at Rockford Luth
Olney at Herrin

Second Round

Herscher at Taylorville
Mt Zion at Rochester

Canton at Althoff
Breese C at Columbia

Johnsburg at Dixon
ACC at Phillips

Plano at Genoa K
Rock Lutheran at Herrin

Quarterfinals

Rochester at Herscher
Althoff at Columbia
Phillps at Johnsburg
Genoa-K at Rock Luth

Semi finals

Rochester at Althoff
Phillps at Genoa K
 
I see your point regarding smaller schools a distance to travel and the number of competitive schools of that size down state. But looking at the map it makes sense for 4a and smaller.
4a.gif

6a.gif
 
1-32 is the only way to go. I love it. look at all the fresh matchups we have there.
 
I like 1-32 seeding, but just think about the costs to the already underfunded schools. Either they put the team on a bus for 6 hours and then play a game or they get hotel rooms plus meals etc. Neither is an attractive choice. I cant imagine riding that long and then playing a playoff game and the schools have budget issues already. Its the same for southern schools headed north as it is for northern schools headed south.Like I said i would prefer 1-32 in a perfect world but Illinois is a long state and it just isn't workable for many schools.
 
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Correct look at 6a north right now. It is top heavy and lopsided. PR at 31 seed has a much tougher road than CG. Personally both of them will likely be in the semi regardless
 
I like 1-32 seeding, but just think about the costs to the already underfunded schools. Either they put the team on a bus for 6 hours and then play a game or they get hotel rooms plus meals etc. Neither is an attractive choice. I cant imagine riding that long and then playing a playoff game and the schools have budget issues already. Its the same for southern schools headed north as it is for northern schools headed south.Like I said i would prefer 1-32 in a perfect world but Illinois is a long state and it just isn't workable for many schools.

The travel cost is the same for anything of 2.5 hours. 1-32 will not increase travel to the point where it will add cost.
 
The cost is the same
well ignoring the obvious cost of fuel would you want your team to travel for 6 hours and get off the bus to play a game? If not then they would have to lodge somewhere and that is a cost unless the magic playoff fairy gives them free rooms.
 
well ignoring the obvious cost of fuel would you want your team to travel for 6 hours and get off the bus to play a game? If not then they would have to lodge somewhere and that is a cost unless the magic playoff fairy gives them free rooms.

Here in southern Illinois (Metro East) you pay for charter buses by the day. The question is do you need a charter or a yellow bus. Some teams use 2.5 hours do determine which type bus to use. To answer your second question ESL drove up on Saturday and played PC in week one. I will admit the team stay over night after the game however you could have just loaded the bus and went home. The choice to stay over night was based on arriving in ESL at 2-3am which is not a good time to be out. The bottom line is the cost is the same for 2.5 hours or more. As far as getting off the bus to play, win more games in the regular season and eliminate as many bus rides as possible.
 
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I would say the only time you are staying in a hotel is for Dekalb or Champaign.
well ignoring the obvious cost of fuel would you want your team to travel for 6 hours and get off the bus to play a game? If not then they would have to lodge somewhere and that is a cost unless the magic playoff fairy gives them free rooms.
 
If football has 2 long bus trips, the annual transportation cost for football is still less than it is for baseball and other sports..
 
If football has 2 long bus trips, the annual transportation cost for football is still less than it is for baseball and other sports..

This is a very good point. A typical state champion in any class of football will have two home games and two away games.
 
Ok, I'll bite----If cost or travel fatigue isnt the issue why does the IHSA go with North South and even quadrants in some cases?
 
Ok, I'll bite----If cost or travel fatigue isnt the issue why does the IHSA go with North South and even quadrants in some cases?

Because there is a perceived cost associated with travel. After being involved with travel arrangements I can tell you playing in Normal cost the same as playing in Chicago. There are some bus companies that charge a little more to cross state lines however most just charge by the day. If you stay over night, you add another day of charter bus cost and hotel.

Most teams (especially larger classes) like to stay over night to ensure the kids are properly rested as most of those games are physical.
 
Because there is a perceived cost associated with travel. After being involved with travel arrangements I can tell you playing in Normal cost the same as playing in Chicago. There are some bus companies that charge a little more to cross state lines however most just charge by the day. If you stay over night, you add another day of charter bus cost and hotel.

Most teams (especially larger classes) like to stay over night to ensure the kids are properly rested as most of those games are physical.

Ok, so you agree with me then! The cost of staying overnight or the obvious physical disadvantage of traveling 6 hours and playing shortly thereafter are the reasons there is no 1-32 in most classes. :)
 
Ok, so you agree with me then! The cost of staying overnight or the obvious physical disadvantage of traveling 6 hours and playing shortly thereafter are the reasons there is no 1-32 in most classes. :)

The current teams that stay over night (Higher travel cost) are 7A and 8A which are 1-32 so I do not agree with you. The reason the other classes are not 1-32 is because some parts of the state would like to be guaranteed a spot in the state championship game. They will use travel cost to hide behind as a valid argument.
 
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Ok, I'll bite----If cost or travel fatigue isnt the issue why does the IHSA go with North South and even quadrants in some cases?
The stated goal of the IHSA in classes 1-6A is not to have the best two teams compete for a state title, but to have geographical representation from the state in the state title game.
 
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Explain that to downstate people and they will kill you

Yeah, know what you mean, gooms. I understand that it might be not be all that great from a financial standpoint since the state probably owes every school district in Illinois at least a million dollars on average, but my point comes from having all schools be seeded the same way, not two classes being seeded 1-32 and the others are a pair of 16s. There are about 13 first round games in all eight classes where the visiting team is traveling at least 174 miles. Here's that list from a FB group I belong to:

8A: O'Fallon at Loyola -- 305 miles
7A: Willowbrook at Quincy -- 304 miles
5A: Marion at Morris -- 286 miles
8A: Oak Park-River Forest at Edwardsville -- 271 miles
1A: Catlin Salt Fork at Stockton -- 266 miles
7A: Lincoln-Way West at East St. Louis -- 262 miles
4A: Watseka at Herrin -- 245 miles
4A: West Frankfort at Canton -- 243 miles
5A: Troy Triad at Geneseo -- 240 miles
1A: Fithian Oakwood at Freeport Aquin -- 231 miles
2A: Momence at Fulton -- 179 miles
1A: Champaign St. Thomas More at Hamilton West Hancock -- 177 miles
3A: Aledo Mercer County at Paxton-Buckley-Loda -- 174 miles
 
In 7A and 8A there's only 1 conference that's not in Chicagoland: The Southwestern Conference (ESL, O'Fallon, Bellevilles). Quincy is 7A and I think Pekin if they make the playoffs is 7A. That's it. Most of those schools could care less about money. As for the other classes and other schools, please realize it's about getting a state championship and not state representatives from all over the state.
 
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