Regional Football Proposal by Mahomet Seymour

[Panthers1211]

2022-2023 Proposal 21 – 5.070 Boys Football
Add By-law 5.074 – Regional Football Proposal
Submitted By: Matt Hensley, Official Representative – Mahomet (M.-Seymour); Ben Davis, Official Representative - Mt. Zion
Summary of Proposed Changes:
Requires the IHSA to establish 8 geographic regions in each of the 8 classifications and establish a regular season schedule for each region on a 2-year cycle. Top 4 teams from each region would qualify for the State Playoffs.
Rational of Submitters:
• Eliminates the need to change conferences based on football scheduling
• Eliminates the creative scheduling to get the magical 5th win
• Allows for a schools natural enrollment fluctuation to be automatically factored in every two years
Text of By-law with Proposed Changes
Add By-law 5.074
Establishing Eight (8) Classifications – (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A)
A. Enrollment
1. Take the average official enrollments for each school for the two years prior to implementation and
reclassify every two years.
2. Once the average enrollment is determined, the multiplier will then be enforced
3. The Success Factor by-law will also be applied
4. A list will be created from the greatest enrollment to the smallest enrollment
B. Placing Schools in a Classification
1. The IHSA will divide the state into eight (8) classifications
2. The number of regions in each classification will be determined by the IHSA
C. Moving Up in Classification
1. Any school interested in playing up a classification needs to notify the IHSA by Monday of Week 28
Establishing Regions Within the Eight (8) Classifications
A. The IHSA will set the regions in all classifications
B. The regions will be set by geography
C. These regions will be announced by the Monday of Week 31
D. Each region will be labeled by their classification and a number
1. Example – 8A Region 1
Establishing Schedules for a Two (2) Year Cycle
A. Regional Schedules
1. Each team will play every team within their region
B. Levels of Play
1. Schools will be playing all levels that their opponent offers
a) If a school has a level and their opponent does not, they are free to seek another school to play for that specific week
C. When the schedule is set for year one, year two will be set to play at the opposite sites
Establishing Playoff Teams
A. The top four (4) schools in each region will make the IHSA Football Playoffs
B. Tiebreakers
1. The parameters of breaking a tie will be determined by the IHSA
Bracketing the IHSA Playoffs
A. The IHSA reserves the right to seed each class as one bracket (1-32) or two brackets (1-16)

 

[The_Oldfan]

It looks to me like Iike this would end the conference system, at least in football. Also an end to many traditional rivalries. It also looks like it would vastly increase travel, and thus travel budgets for downstate schools, particularly in classes 6A-8A. Lastly I think it could lead to a much increased number of rematches early in the playoffs.

 

[stl705]

No thanks. I’m sure it makes sense from down south, but I don’t see it any better than conferences than Chicagoland.

 

[Valley Rat]

Or just win more games

 

[Wittymoniker1]

This is too general for me. Can someone from Mahomet tell me which classification Rita would be in, and who's in their "region." Give me an example schedule.

 

[SouthofI80FootballFan]

It looks to me like Iike this would end the conference system, at least in football. Also an end to many traditional rivalries. It also looks like it would vastly increase travel, and thus travel budgets for downstate schools, particularly in classes 6A-8A. Lastly I think it could lead to a much increased number of rematches early in the playoffs.

2 Year Enrollment Cycle

Create 8 team districts, allow teams to schedule to 2-cons that count for something and find opponents on weeks where teams forfeit. Allow CPS to still participate in the playoffs but keep them in a district together and allow some of the nearby suburbs or private schools to petition to be in a district with CPS. With CPS in a district with outlier schools, teams would play on Friday and then possibly play again on Wednesday or Thursday along with travel, which is not good for CPS or the suburban students.

Allow the IHSA to play a role in selecting opponents for teams in off weeks. For example, if Team A is a 4A school that has a solid program with a week 2 opening and Team B is an improving program but not quite at the level of Team A and is within a reasonable driving distance, the IHSA should be given the authority to make games like this happen.

The top 2 from each Conference/District make the playoffs and if there are any remaining spots, the next best in all conferences are determined by Record, RPI, Playoff Points, or whatever the IHSA wants to choose. Seed 1-32 in all classes and change seeds to prevent district opponents from meeting until the 2nd round.

Maintain the current multiplier for Privates and create a success factor for all schools based not solely on championships but on the margin of victory in playoff games. 2 years of 6 games with a 40+ margin of victory, you are playing up the next season in both district and playoffs.

 

[mc140]

This was passed then unpassed right before covid.

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

Leave my football alone. The current system, though not perfect, works pretty well. Take the current system to 1-32 at all classes and be done. We can’t make this an everyone makes the football playoffs deal. Earn your way in.

 

[Panthers1211]

Leave my football alone. The current system, though not perfect, works pretty well. Take the current system to 1-32 at all classes and be done. We can’t make this an everyone makes the football playoffs deal. Earn your way in.

I think we are already headed down that road with 4-5 Buffalo Grove making the playoffs.

 

[3OrangeWhips]

This is too general for me. Can someone from Mahomet tell me which classification Rita would be in, and who's in their "region." Give me an example schedule.

This was proposed in 2019 and these are the districts they came up with at the time:

IHSA Proposed Districts

The llnos Hgh School Assocaton sendt ths proposed Footall Dstrct

edgytim.rivals.com

 

[YoungBland]

I think we are already headed down that road with 4-5 Buffalo Grove making the playoffs.

Leave my football alone. The current system, though not perfect, works pretty well. Take the current system to 1-32 at all classes and be done. We can’t make this an everyone makes the football playoffs deal. Earn your way in.

While it's definitely weird for teams under 0.500 to make the playoffs (especially with how things were with 6 classes), I don't see the current reality of a select few 4-5 at-large bids as a negative.

For at least the next couple of years, assuming a similar number of 11-man playoff-eligible schools, I honestly think it's a positive. Any of the top five or six 4-5 teams in the state have played such a tough schedule that they probably deserve to be in the playoffs more (and are likely better) than the bottom third of 5-4 teams.

 

[tomloner]

This was proposed in 2019 and these are the districts they came up with at the time:

IHSA Proposed Districts

The llnos Hgh School Assocaton sendt ths proposed Footall Dstrct

edgytim.rivals.com

St. Rita would never lose a game in that set up and no one would ever show up to a game till the playoffs. The overall quality play would suffer. Let's leave it alone and give everyone a participation trophy after game one. I'd rather play a tougher schedule even if it means losing some games. Trophy's are not the overall purpose of football. It's turning boys into men and having them become good people, fathers and husbands.

 

[Panthers1211]

With 8 classes and all the first round blowouts rather see top 16 in each class.

 

[ClownBaby]

Many states use this system and it would work very well I prefer the current set up but this system helps eliminate conference jumping and overall is probably a net positive.

 

[Alexander32]

This was proposed in 2019 and these are the districts they came up with at the time:

IHSA Proposed Districts

The llnos Hgh School Assocaton sendt ths proposed Footall Dstrct

edgytim.rivals.com

All one needs to do is look at the proposed district Mt. Carmel would find itself in to realize the district proposal would be disastrous. They would be in South District D, in class 7A. Mt. Carmel would have possibly one competitive district game a year, that being against Fenwick. Every other district game would be a running clock by midway through the second quarter, if not earlier. Mt. Carmel would also have the opportunity for one non-district game each year, which would presumably be against better competition. Two competitive games each year? I don't think that works.

 

[RD_Watcher]

All one needs to do is look at the proposed district Mt. Carmel would find itself in to realize the district proposal would be disastrous. They would be in South District D, in class 7A. Mt. Carmel would have possibly one competitive district game a year, that being against Fenwick. Every other district game would be a running clock by midway through the second quarter, if not earlier. Mt. Carmel would also have the opportunity for one non-district game each year, which would presumably be against better competition. Two competitive games each year? I don't think that works.

Look further down the line - because Mt Carmel wouldn't be playing as competitive of games, would they continue to get the high-quality players? I'm not saying there would be an immediate exodus, but over a 10-15 year time period, do players migrate towards schools playing better competition in season, making their game tape better for college recruiters?

 

[Secondo1]

As someone said before, 1-32 all classes. Done. Simple. Everyone understands it. if a 4-5 team makes it, so be it. Quit trying to micromanage.

 

[The_Oldfan]

I'm still surprised that the IHSA wants to exoand 1-32 into the smaller classes. It does make more sense but it will play Hob with gate revenues - and in the playoffs a lot of that goes to IHSA, not the host school

 

[SouthofI80FootballFan]

I'm still surprised that the IHSA wants to exoand 1-32 into the smaller classes. It does make more sense but it will play Hob with gate revenues - and in the playoffs a lot of that goes to IHSA, not the host school

Streaming has hurt revenue more than seeding 1-32. Not all matchups would be 3 or 4 hour drives. I saw on another board that if you seeded 1-3A 1-32, there was only a few games in each class that were over 3 hour drives.

Does the IHSA get revenue from. NFHS?

 

[The_Oldfan]

Streaming has hurt revenue more than seeding 1-32. Not all matchups would be 3 or 4 hour drives. I saw on another board that if you seeded 1-3A 1-32, there was only a few games in each class that were over 3 hour drives.

Does the IHSA get revenue from. NFHS?

Given the exclusivity of the contract, I would assume they do

 

[MalleusMaleficarum]

St. Rita would never lose a game in that set up and no one would ever show up to a game till the playoffs. The overall quality play would suffer. Let's leave it alone and give everyone a participation trophy after game one. I'd rather play a tougher schedule even if it means losing some games. Trophy's are not the overall purpose of football. It's turning boys into men and having them become good people, fathers and husbands.

"Trophy's are not the overall purpose of football." "... turning boys into men ..."Really? That's obviously NOT what the IHSA thinks given its love for the multiplier and success punishment factor. You should probably let them know to get on board with you!

 

[The_Oldfan]

"Trophy's are not the overall purpose of football." "... turning boys into men ..."Really? That's obviously NOT what the IHSA thinks given its love for the multiplier and success punishment factor. You should probably let them know to get on board with you!

Precisely. Why eight classes? Why not 10? 12? 16? The goal of both the success factor and multiplier is hardly character building, they are designed to prevent too much success by a few superior programs and guarantee more trophies, especially for public school programs. I would argue that four c lasses in basketball wad precisely the same motivation only targeted at Chicago.