IMHO the privates need the publics and the IHSA more than the other way around. I would expect them to bear the weight of additional "straws" to maintain their present involvement in competition.
OK so let's poke the Bear....
- Thread starter EdgyTim
- Start date
I am a longtime follower of your stuff and thought I would make this point regarding the public/private split for high schools in the state as it relates to football.
If there are separate groups for whatever reason, then it is IMPOSSIBLE for a private school to play a public school other than in the first two weeks which, in the coming district system, don't count anyway.
A private school can't be part of the district football system.
Just consider.....
An eight-team district in which four teams are private schools and four teams are public schools. When the regular seasons ends, the district records for the four private schools are 7-0, 6-1, 5-2 and 4-3.
The district records for the four public schools are 3-4, 2-5, 1-6 and 0-7.
Which four teams qualify for the postseason in such a district? The answer if private schools can play in the regular season but can't play in the playoffs is as follows: The four public schools qualify for the playoffs EVERY year regardless of record. That, of course, makes no sense.
So, that removes the private schools from the regular season with the district concept.
What that means is if the private schools want to have their own playoffs, they are going to do so with how many teams? How many classes?
Obviously, you could have an exciting private school postseason with Mt. Carmel and Montini and Providence, and Joliet Cathoic, etc. But of course, those teams would all being playing each other during the regular season because who else is available for the private schools to play weeks 3-9?
From this corner of the room, there is no viable way for private schools to hold a meaningful playoff without being part of the public structure. Remember now, with all private schools playing by themselves, there is no multiplier for enrollment and no success factor.
So, how many classes for playoffs do you want? And remember, half of the good private schools in the loaded 1,200-type enrollment aren'g going to have winning records because they are playing seven games against other private schools.
Really, the private schools pulling out themselves...what would they do for a football regular season?
If the vote to turn football into a "district" sport did anything, it made it unrealistic for the private schools to bail on their own accord.
As for sports such as wrestling and baseball and softball, where private schools also seem to excel, well Edgy doesn't have a fan board for those sports ... yet?
Thank you for reading.
This private schools support more then just football maybe it would be good for the football teams to leave the IHSA but it sure wouldn’t help any girls sports or smaller boys sports like soccer or cross country. Nothing like telling parents who are paying tuition we made move to help our football team and could careless about your kids sport.
