8 of the 16 teams in the State Finals are Private Schools. They are spread out over 7 different classes and we could have a scenario with 7 private school champions and East St. Louis as the 8th who plays a national schedule. Does this provide the impetus for an IHSA by-law vote to raise the multiplier? A 2.0 multiplier would mean Brother Rice and Mt. Carmel for sure would be in 8A. Fenwick would be on the 8A/7A bubble.
A 2.5 multiplier puts Brother Rice, Mt. Carmel, Fenwick and St. Rita into 8A with Nazareth and St. Francis into 7A. Those schools could probably be competitive in those classes but obviously wouldn't want to be a part of eliminating each other throughout the playoffs.
I'm not weighing in one way or the other, but to me I feel there is going to be an public school response through the IHSA to private schools in football making so many state title games, and I think it will be accelerated after the Lincoln-Way East loss tonight to Loyola.
I feel something will come about in the next year based off of how this years playoff results have played out.
A 2.5 multiplier puts Brother Rice, Mt. Carmel, Fenwick and St. Rita into 8A with Nazareth and St. Francis into 7A. Those schools could probably be competitive in those classes but obviously wouldn't want to be a part of eliminating each other throughout the playoffs.
I'm not weighing in one way or the other, but to me I feel there is going to be an public school response through the IHSA to private schools in football making so many state title games, and I think it will be accelerated after the Lincoln-Way East loss tonight to Loyola.
I feel something will come about in the next year based off of how this years playoff results have played out.