Is there any way a conference (CCL/ESCC) could say screw it, and practice on the original IHSA schedule, and play across the border somewhere? Hell, these seniors would kill for a 6 game schedule. Liability is the main issue, but other states pulled it off while still going against their state health department. Are there any insurance guys on here? AD's from other states? Once insurance is in place, I'd imagine it would be pretty easy to rent a facility in Indiana. Friday nights/Saturday afternoons aren't that busy in the Spring.
There is a part of this that is actually fascinating to me because, not having any association with teen-agers in several years, I confess to not knowing the answer.
Here's what was written: "These seniors would kill for a 6-game schedule."
The question is this: Many football fans on this board have made it very clear that they are in favor of crowning state champions. I have seen discussions of a five-game regular season, followed by five weeks of regular playoffs for the top half and a consolation Game 4 for the teams that scuffled during the five-game season.
I have also looked at what Wisconsin did, in which it limited playoffs to I believe three rounds, I think. I know that state champions were not crowned. In fact, I remember reading that a lot of playoff games were not held because of virus issues, but that's not the point here.
The question is: If the IHSA says, football teams have a 10-week season ... 2.5 weeks of practice, followed by seven regular season games then a high school "bowl game" if you will, would the kids want to play this spring ... especially the non-college prospects who also play other sports? I have no clue. I don't know.
I just get a sense of reading stuff from you fans that the state tournament is a vital component to having a season. That's the impression I have gotten from reading this stuff for the past 10 months.
But then, the past few days, we have a suggestion that a six-game regular season with no playoffs is something the kids would eagerly accept at this point.
And, of course, there's the "club" football suggestion in which there would be X number of regular games but obviously no state tournament.
So, is the state-playoff system now out of everyone's heart and mind? If it is, that's fine. It just seems as though, for several months here, the suggestion was that a spring season of 6-7 games and 2 rounds of playoffs was nothing the kids would be interested in.
There's another thing that would come into play with a six-game regular season and no playoffs. Let's say the season games run in April and May ... just picking two months out of a hat.
With no need to win X number of games to make the playoffs, and another complete season starting with camp days in June, how much playing time will current juniors earn at the expense of seniors, if there are no state playoffs. I don't know.
In a six-game regular season and no postseason, how many coaches will want to go 6-0, and how many will be trying to develop a team to go 9-0 a few months later?
Anyway, final thought on a conference deciding to a play high school football conference season this spring. That idea is a lot of things, but a recruiting tool is not one of them.
If the kids are at school already, the school has their tuition money for this year. And if you play against the IHSA mandate this spring, what guarantee is there that you will be allowed to play in the IHSA next year? And then, you've LOST your recruiting edge by being an elite-level program that's always play in mid-to-late November.
