OK so there are a lot of thoughts on here about how the success factor and multiplier is unfair...public vs. private advantages etc. Lots of bickering back and forth. How about a solution that ensures equity for both publics and privates and competitive games on Championship Weekend? Please read through and then fire off either positively or negatively on it with suggestions to make it better. Maybe the IHSA members that lurk on this site will read it and we will have created a crowdsourced and improved IHSA playoff model on the condition that EdgyTim gets corporate sponsorship...I'm thinking..."The IHSA Football Championship Weekend brought to you by the good folks at EdgyTim.com." Anyways here's the plan. Enjoy!
To begin, I propose change with 4 non-negotiable points guiding such change to our current playoff setup.
(1) Illinois should never split into separate public and private playoffs...The 6A Title Game between Naz and Prairie Ridge shows that both quality public and private schools can have awesome matchups against each other.
(2) The success factor and multiplier for non-boundary schools needs to be greatly overhauled...(read on...this plan gets good...or so I hope you agree.)
(3) Successful public schools should be treated just like successful private schools.
(4) The abolition of conferences in favor of districts combining public and private schools should not be adopted.
Before proposing any changes it would be good to share the current success factor and multiplier rules. For the most part I think everyone understands the multiplier to be 1.65 times a non-boundaried school's enrollment. The current success factor rules from the IHSA for football are as follows...
The new Success Advancement step will move schools up a classification if they achieve the following:
In football over four years:
1. Participated in two state championship games.
2. Starting with the 2015 season, schools would be moved up two classes from their enrollment classification if, over a four year period, the school participated in three championship games.
3. Starting with the 2016 season, schools would be moved up three classes from their enrollment classification if, over a four year period, the school participated in four championship games.
4. Schools that move up more than one class due to the implementation of the above criteria will move down one class per year until they reach their appropriate classification for their enrollment should they stop meeting the advancement criteria outlined above.
Going forward here is my proposal:
(1) Eliminate the multiplier. Here are the NEW classes (based on this year's playoff classifications) of some of the more well-known and most successful non-boundaried schools on this board WITHOUT the multiplier who have achieved recent success in the past decade...
1A: Sterling (Newman Central Catholic), Aurora Christian
2A: Elmhurst (Immaculate Conception), Bishop Mac
3A: NONE
4A: Springfield Sacred-Heart Griffin, Joliet Catholic, Montini, Woodstock (Marian), Wheaton (St. Francis), Nazareth Academy, Peoria (Notre Dame), St. Viator, Rockford Boylan, Chicago De La Salle
5A: St. Laurence, Providence, Marmion, St. Rita, Fenwick, Mt. Carmel, Mundelein (Carmel), Simeon, St. Patrick, Benet
6A: St. Ignatius, Brother Rice, Niles (Notre Dame), Marist
7A: Loyola
8A: NONE
(2) Continue the practice of allowing schools to choose to elect to play up in class. Phillips is for now slotted in 3A without petitioning up, and East St. Louis is slotted in 5A without petitioning up. Those schools have both chosen to play up in 5A and 7A respectively...in other words...make the schools choose to play up. If none of the 4A-7A private schools ELECT to play up...ultimately they will be seen as ducking the tougher competition in 7A and 8A. Thus no need for a multiplier...the negative impact that would have on potential national recognition which is becoming more and more important each year as well as colleges recruiting your players would be enough I feel to compel schools to play up. If St. Rita elects to play a 5A playoff schedule after having played in arguably the best conference in the state...the CCL Blue...that is going to raise eyebrows among college recruiters and thus be a practice I don't think they'd continue long-term. Nevertheless, it is the school's call and if none of the private schools request to play up then we are guaranteed an 8A public school champ and unless Loyola can take out the other 31 teams each year... a 7A public school champ as well. Kind of changes the dynamic of the public-private...who is better debate huh?
(3) However we're not going to make it that simple. There are some things I like about the success factor model so we are going to keep it with HEAVY modifications. So here is the new success factor...(a) Any school (public or private) that repeats 2 years in a row in the SAME class as champion will be moved up ONE class for 2 years. (b) Any school (public or private) that is moved up that wins for a 3rd year in a row will be moved up another class for 2 years. (c) Such practice will continue for each consecutive state title won by a school. (d) If a moved up success factor-eligible school fails to win a state championship then the next year they will IMMEDIATELY be placed down in their enrollment based classification with the option to petition up and play in whichever class that they wish.
This year the 4A, 5A, and 6A champs were all public school programs that have won multiple titles in the last few years so it is not a given that the private schools moving down to these classes are guaranteed a state title. If anything it might freshen up the playoffs in those classes which in the past have seen one-sided state championship games...(Not in 4A and 6A this year though!)
Well what are your thoughts? Looking forward to them as I finish watching the 7A game and we see the 8A final between Loyola and Lincoln-Way East?
To begin, I propose change with 4 non-negotiable points guiding such change to our current playoff setup.
(1) Illinois should never split into separate public and private playoffs...The 6A Title Game between Naz and Prairie Ridge shows that both quality public and private schools can have awesome matchups against each other.
(2) The success factor and multiplier for non-boundary schools needs to be greatly overhauled...(read on...this plan gets good...or so I hope you agree.)
(3) Successful public schools should be treated just like successful private schools.
(4) The abolition of conferences in favor of districts combining public and private schools should not be adopted.
Before proposing any changes it would be good to share the current success factor and multiplier rules. For the most part I think everyone understands the multiplier to be 1.65 times a non-boundaried school's enrollment. The current success factor rules from the IHSA for football are as follows...
The new Success Advancement step will move schools up a classification if they achieve the following:
In football over four years:
1. Participated in two state championship games.
2. Starting with the 2015 season, schools would be moved up two classes from their enrollment classification if, over a four year period, the school participated in three championship games.
3. Starting with the 2016 season, schools would be moved up three classes from their enrollment classification if, over a four year period, the school participated in four championship games.
4. Schools that move up more than one class due to the implementation of the above criteria will move down one class per year until they reach their appropriate classification for their enrollment should they stop meeting the advancement criteria outlined above.
Going forward here is my proposal:
(1) Eliminate the multiplier. Here are the NEW classes (based on this year's playoff classifications) of some of the more well-known and most successful non-boundaried schools on this board WITHOUT the multiplier who have achieved recent success in the past decade...
1A: Sterling (Newman Central Catholic), Aurora Christian
2A: Elmhurst (Immaculate Conception), Bishop Mac
3A: NONE
4A: Springfield Sacred-Heart Griffin, Joliet Catholic, Montini, Woodstock (Marian), Wheaton (St. Francis), Nazareth Academy, Peoria (Notre Dame), St. Viator, Rockford Boylan, Chicago De La Salle
5A: St. Laurence, Providence, Marmion, St. Rita, Fenwick, Mt. Carmel, Mundelein (Carmel), Simeon, St. Patrick, Benet
6A: St. Ignatius, Brother Rice, Niles (Notre Dame), Marist
7A: Loyola
8A: NONE
(2) Continue the practice of allowing schools to choose to elect to play up in class. Phillips is for now slotted in 3A without petitioning up, and East St. Louis is slotted in 5A without petitioning up. Those schools have both chosen to play up in 5A and 7A respectively...in other words...make the schools choose to play up. If none of the 4A-7A private schools ELECT to play up...ultimately they will be seen as ducking the tougher competition in 7A and 8A. Thus no need for a multiplier...the negative impact that would have on potential national recognition which is becoming more and more important each year as well as colleges recruiting your players would be enough I feel to compel schools to play up. If St. Rita elects to play a 5A playoff schedule after having played in arguably the best conference in the state...the CCL Blue...that is going to raise eyebrows among college recruiters and thus be a practice I don't think they'd continue long-term. Nevertheless, it is the school's call and if none of the private schools request to play up then we are guaranteed an 8A public school champ and unless Loyola can take out the other 31 teams each year... a 7A public school champ as well. Kind of changes the dynamic of the public-private...who is better debate huh?
(3) However we're not going to make it that simple. There are some things I like about the success factor model so we are going to keep it with HEAVY modifications. So here is the new success factor...(a) Any school (public or private) that repeats 2 years in a row in the SAME class as champion will be moved up ONE class for 2 years. (b) Any school (public or private) that is moved up that wins for a 3rd year in a row will be moved up another class for 2 years. (c) Such practice will continue for each consecutive state title won by a school. (d) If a moved up success factor-eligible school fails to win a state championship then the next year they will IMMEDIATELY be placed down in their enrollment based classification with the option to petition up and play in whichever class that they wish.
This year the 4A, 5A, and 6A champs were all public school programs that have won multiple titles in the last few years so it is not a given that the private schools moving down to these classes are guaranteed a state title. If anything it might freshen up the playoffs in those classes which in the past have seen one-sided state championship games...(Not in 4A and 6A this year though!)
Well what are your thoughts? Looking forward to them as I finish watching the 7A game and we see the 8A final between Loyola and Lincoln-Way East?
