IHSA March Meeting Three Significant Changes To Classification Policy

[cornerrat]

All.... Just popped up. Ratsy

IHSA Board Approves Three Significant Changes To Classification Policy At March Meeting

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting at the I Hotel in Champaign on Saturday, March 15, 2025, where the Board voted to make three significant changes to Board Policy aimed at addressing competitive equity and simplifying the State...

www.ihsa.org

 

[SiuCubFan8]

2. Multiplier Waiver Process Changed
A sport or activity program at a particular non-boundaried school is not eligible to apply for a waiver if over the course of the previous three (3) school terms, the program (as a team) has achieved any of the following:
5) In Football, accomplishes the following:
a. Wins at least one IHSA Playoff football game

3. Success Adjustment
Beginning in 2025-26, the Success Adjustment Policy will encompass a rolling three-year period. Entering each school year, if a team has won two state final trophies in the past three years in a sport, they will then be subject to the adjustment and move up one class in that sport. For example, a school who has won two state final trophies in a sport/activity over the course of 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 will be subject to the adjustment in 2025-26. In 2026-27, they will only be subject to the adjustment if they have two state final trophies over the course of 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.

 

[mc140]

Those changes are basically going back to pre-covid. It was 5 years win a game and now 3. So are they going back to using previous years enrollment? Or are we sticking with this dumb two year average from 4 years ago bs?

 

[cornerrat]

All... What a surprise "changes" appear to be focused entirely on the privates. (Catholics) Yes that's the Rat being snarky. Ratsy

 

[jakob18]

At this point I could care less what class they place us in. Either way Althoff will be ready.

 

[cornerrat]

All.... The waiver is essentially dead. It is no longer automatic with the new change. No wins in three years gets you inside the door. But then it goes before the Ihsa staff for review. Then a simple majority vote of yes or no. Uh huh. Last time I checked the publics control most of the votes. "Ihsa board has the discretion to change the vote." Sure.... Haaa..... Ratsy

 

[SiuCubFan8]

All.... The waiver is essentially dead. It is no longer automatic with the new change. No wins in three years gets you inside the door. But then it goes before the Ihsa staff for review. Then a simple majority vote of yes or no. Uh huh. Last time I checked the publics control most of the votes. "Ihsa board has the discretion to change the vote." Sure.... Haaa..... Ratsy

If you are going to have the waiver it needs to be transparent and measurable...not "zero wins in a 3 year period gets you a meeting"....come on.

 

[mc140]

If you are going to have the waiver it needs to be transparent and measurable...not "zero wins in a 3 year period gets you a meeting"....come on.

Call it the Montini rule. No chance that school ever gets a waiver.

 

[cornerrat]

All.... And so much to LEVEL the playing field by including the publics as well on the most outrageous discriminatory rule put in place against the Catholics.... the Success Factor. Ratsy

 

[ramblinman]

All... What a surprise "changes" appear to be focused entirely on the privates. (Catholics) Yes that's the Rat being snarky. Ratsy

Now, ratsy, don't be so negative. The changes also apply to roughly 90 non-boundaried public schools. Gotta ensure that schools like Chicago Legal Prep Charter, Chicago Agricultural Science, and Illinois School for the Visually Impaired don't get too big for their athletic britches. Gotta ensure competitive equity, right?

The vast majority of non-boundaried public schools are uncompetitive in pretty much every single sport in which they compete. Without an automatic waiver, all those schools are going to have to apply for a waiver each and every year in each and every sport. What a needless waste of their time to submit applications and of the IHSA's time to review them.

Dontcha love how the IHSA is content to create additional red tape and to throw the non-boundaried public schools under the bus all in the name of trying to appear as though they aren't discriminating against private schools, the vast majority of which are faith based?

 

[mc140]

Now, ratsy, don't be so negative. The changes also apply to all those 82 heavy hitting public non-boundaried schools. Gotta ensure that schools like Chicago Legal Prep Charter, Chicago Agricultural Science, and Illinois School for the Visually Impaired don't get too big for their athletic britches. Gotta ensure competitive equity, right?

Dontcha love how the IHSA is content to throw the non-boundaried public schools under the bus all in the name of trying to appear as though they aren't discriminating against private schools, the vast majority of which are faith based?

Sounds like the NIPL should be forming for the 26-27 school year. But yes I agree schools like ESL and other publics should be success factored also.

 

[cornerrat]

At this point I could care less what class they place us in. Either way Althoff will be ready.

All.... Using past historical data as a basis come postseason time Catholic Taxed ( multiplied) there is a high probability the Crusaders will be class 3A. Ratsy

 

[mc140]

All.... Using past historical data as a basis come postseason time Catholic Taxed ( multiplied) there is a high probability the Crusaders will be class 3A. Ratsy

They have more D1 kids than almost every school in Illinois. Something tells me they will be ok.

 

[jakob18]

All.... Using past historical data as a basis come postseason time Catholic Taxed ( multiplied) there is a high probability the Crusaders will be class 3A. Ratsy

Sounds good to me.

 

[cornerrat]

Sounds good to me.

All.... Since the Broncos are now gone slapping around the Tigers should be fun. Ratsy

 

[ramblinman]

Meh.

I was hoping for even more onerous changes like a 2.0 multiplier with no waiver. Something that would be the last straw that drives the private schools to the NIPL.

Grow some stones, IHSA!

 

[jakob18]

They have more D1 kids than almost every school in Illinois. Something tells me they will be ok.

Lol I must of imagined that Lincoln way east team then

 

[jakob18]

Personally I wish we would have been put in 4A so we could smack Waterloo.

 

[RoaminCatholic]

Meh.

I was hoping for even more onerous changes like a 2.0 multiplier with no waiver. Something that would be the last straw that drives the private schools to the NIPL.

Grow some stones, IHSA!

NIPL... I'm partial to IPL or splitting into two separate groups... Chicagoland area and Non-Chicagoland area, however you want to name them. No idea where to draw the cutoff for this though...

Downstate/Non-Chicagoland 11-man football privates/non-boundary... (in no particular order)
1. BMD
2. SHG
3. Althoff
4. Marquette
5. QND
6. St. Teresa
7. BCC
8. PND
9. Normal U-High (their choice)
10. Bishop McNamara
11. Routt
12. Alleman (if they ever return)
13. St. Bede
14. Boylan
15. Newman
16. Rockford Lutheran

 

[ramblinman]

Sounds like the NIPL should be forming for the 26-27 school year.

Nah, the IHSA is a master at coming up short of making it so onerous that the NIPL becomes a reasonable option.

As it turns out, some private schools are masters at adapting (that's what happens when you have to scratch and claw to fill desks and classrooms each and every year and compete in an educational marketplace as opposed to being content to be the default education option), and they will find a way to overcome these latest changes.

 

[ramblinman]

NIPL... is that copyrighted/trademarked?

What a great idea!

I think it's high time we just do it.

It is long past high time as far as I am concerned.

.. and no scheduling Illinois public schools at all. Let 'em see what's missing...

Killjoy.

I disagree with you here. It's too fun to watch them foam at the mouth when they lose to us!

 

[4Afan]

Meh.

I was hoping for even more onerous changes like a 2.0 multiplier with no waiver. Something that would be the last straw that drives the private schools to the NIPL.

Grow some stones, IHSA!

Just saw in the notes of the meeting that the multiplier can only be changed of someone proposes it and it goes to a vote of all member schools, so it's not up to the IHSA.

 

[cornerrat]

NIPL... is that copyrighted/trademarked? I'm partial to IPL or splitting into two separate groups... CCL (retain the name, add in the suburban privates) and DCL or something of the like for a downstate private school football league. I think it's high time we just do it... and no scheduling Illinois public schools at all. Let 'em see what's missing... Out of state private/public can be scheduled.

All.... That is one constant I have said all along. and agree. If it should happen no Illinois schools during the regular season. Form a co-op fund of sort in helping the smaller schools afford the 4 or 5 away travel game expenses. Wouldn't be much of a problem up north but south maybe.

The biggest issue in my opinion is how would the Ihsa react. Football is the cash cow for them. They could threaten if you do this (and it would cost them even more) go find games and officials for all of the other sports. The boot.... and pass but another discriminatory by-law preventing any public school from playing a local private in Illinois in the other sports. Affording travel for the other sports would be very difficult if not impossible. Ratsy

 

[ramblinman]

Just saw in the notes of the meeting that the multiplier can only be changed of someone proposes it and it goes to a vote of all member schools, so it's not up to the IHSA.

Why should the IHSA stand by their constitution and by-laws? It didn't stop them the first time they tried to ram a multiplier down the throats of the private schools without due process. Got their wrists slapped in court on that one.

 

[RoaminCatholic]

What a great idea!



It is long past high time as far as I am concerned.



Killjoy.

I disagree with you here. It's too fun to watch them foam at the mouth when they lose to us!

That's fair, I agree they squirm a lot when they're forced to play us. lol

 

[RoaminCatholic]

Why should the IHSA stand by their constitution and by-laws? It didn't stop them the first time they tried to ram a multiplier down the throats of the private schools without due process. Got their wrists slapped in court on that one.

Slapped their wrists just for them to turn around and create a different way to accomplish the same goal.

 

[RoaminCatholic]

Personally I wish we would have been put in 4A so we could smack Waterloo.

Personally, 3A suits you well 😁 😇 😁

Edit: Thought about it, and never mind, you right, 4A looks good on Althoff. Care to give Rochester* the business whilst you're at it mate?

 

[ramblinman]

Slapped their wrists just for them to turn around and create a different way to accomplish the same goal.

They were going to get their way one way or the other. Thing is, there's a right way and a wrong way. It did feel good to see them have to go back to the drawing board, though.

 

[cornerrat]

Personally, 3A suits you well 😁 😇 😁

Edit: Thought about it, and never mind, you right, 4A looks good on Althoff. Care to give Rochester* the business whilst you're at it mate?

All.... 4A is possible but would have to come with a fairly large enrollment growth number for 2024. The two year average gone now for Althoff was 288.5. The last three seasons averaged ( and they were all close in numbers) for the lowest end in the 4A postseason qualifiers comes in at 553. 335 mutiplied gets you at 552.75. Ratsy

 

[jakob18]

Personally, 3A suits you well 😁 😇 😁

Edit: Thought about it, and never mind, you right, 4A looks good on Althoff. Care to give Rochester* the business whilst you're at it mate?

probably be a good match up. I wouldn’t mind watching them play each other. Althoff may of graduated a lot but they are returning some pieces.

 

[pjjp]

Those changes are basically going back to pre-covid. It was 5 years win a game and now 3. So are they going back to using previous years enrollment? Or are we sticking with this dumb two year average from 4 years ago bs?

I recall you advancing a theory that the ease of obtaining the multiplier waiver was part of a plan by the IHSA and the public member schools to facilitate separation. I believe the theory went that so many non-boundaried schools would win that it would increase the resolve to finally separate. Well, the non-boundaried schools achieved a tremendous amount of success, partly due to the ease of obtaining the waiver. However, it has not led to separation (at least yet). I always thought that theory gave the IHSA and the public schools too much credit. The prior system was not some type of grand scheme set up to lead to separation. It was just incompetence and stupidity on the part of the IHSA and the public school members.

 

[mc140]

I recall you advancing a theory that the ease of obtaining the multiplier waiver was part of a plan by the IHSA and the public member schools to facilitate separation. I believe the theory went that so many non-boundaried schools would win that it would increase the resolve to finally separate. Well, the non-boundaried schools achieved a tremendous amount of success, partly due to the ease of obtaining the waiver. However, it has not led to separation (at least yet). I always thought that theory gave the IHSA and the public schools too much credit. The prior system was not some type of grand scheme set up to lead to separation. It was just incompetence and stupidity on the part of the IHSA and the public school members.

Close. IHSA plan, not public school plan.. The fixed two year thing was utterly ridiculous.

 

[pjjp]

Close. IHSA plan, not public school plan.. The fixed two year thing was utterly ridiculous.

Yep. It was dumb. But, it was not set up to lead to separation. You gave the IHSA too much credit for putting something in place that would require foresight. The IHSA is purely a reactionary organization.