Seeding and Grouping Policy Review; 3- and 4-Class Expansion Models IHSA Principals Rules Meetings

Grouping and Seeding Policy The cornerstone of IHSA state tournaments has long been geographic assignments to the initial round of the state series leading to geographic representation at state final tournaments. The geographic concept helps maintain a reasonable balance between key factors such as education, time, money, travel, while at the same time providing a structure that is equitable to all member schools.

Grouping and Seeding Policy Some questions have been expressed over the past few years with regard to the grouping and seeding policy. A proposal has been submitted by a group of conferences and athletic administrators to review the grouping and seeding policy. The IHSA will survey schools on this policy in December at the same time as the non-binding vote on classification. Discussion at the Principals Rules Meetings will help shape the exact format of the survey.

Grouping and Seeding Policy (Geographic Principle) –Should the geographic principle continue to be the cornerstone of the grouping and seeding policy? –Should the geographic principle apply to football? –Should sectional complexes be maintained? –Should certain sectional complexes have sub- sectionals?

Grouping and Seeding Policy (Hosting) –Should the IHSA reward schools that have higher seeds with first- or second-round home games? –If so, should a school with a high seed but an inadequate facility be allowed to host a first- or second-round game? –Should the IHSA review facilities of member schools to determine host sites for the tournament? –Should the IHSA predetermine all host sites for all levels of the state series in a sport?

Grouping and Seeding Policy (Assigning/Seeding) –Should the IHSA try to assign an equal number of teams at each of the first level tournaments? –Should the IHSA continue to try and keep first level assignments for three year periods? –Should the IHSA continue to try and make first level assignments comparable in team sports? –Should the pairings be done by straight seeds? (#1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, etc.) –Should geography be implemented somehow in the pairing at the first level tournaments?

Grouping and Seeding Policy (Assigning/Seeding) –Should football be seeded as a single bracket (#1 vs. #32, #2 vs. #31, etc.)? –Should football be divided into two groups of 16 with straight seeding? (#1 vs. #16, #2 vs. #15, etc.) –Should the IHSA continue to randomly draw the pairings for the state final tournaments? –Should sectional complexes be seeded in some manner?

Grouping Comparison – Class 3A 4 quadrants of 8

Grouping Comparison – Class 3A 4 quadrants of 82 halves of 16

Grouping Comparison – Class 3A 4 quadrants of 82 halves of 16all 32 teams in one group

Grouping Comparison – Class 7A 4 quadrants of 8

Grouping Comparison – Class 7A 4 quadrants of 82 halves of 16

Grouping Comparison – Class 7A 4 quadrants of 82 halves of 16all 32 teams in one group

Classification Review Classification of schools is a policy that requires a majority vote of the Board of Directors to change. This PowerPoint presentation and maps will be available on the IHSA School Center for review. In December, member schools will be able to participate in: –Advisory referendum on classification –Survey on the IHSA Grouping and Seeding Policy

Classification review In January, the Board will: –Review the results of the Advisory Referendum and determine what, if any, action to take regarding classification. –Review the results of the survey and determine if the Grouping/Seeding Policy should be changed. The IHSA Board will determine when and if sports will be split into different classifications. This will no longer be a recommendation coming from the individual sport advisory committees.

Criteria for different classes 2-class system – A sport or activity must have at least 300 participating teams or 350 schools sending either a team or an individual In , a fixed cutoff of 735 was established between Class A and AA. This proposal recommends that starting with the cutoff again be based on a percentage, with the smallest 55.5% ( 5 / 9 ) of member schools in Class A, and the remaining 44.4% ( 4 / 9 ) in Class AA. In establishing the cutoff, enrollment figures from September 30th of the previous year shall be used.

Criteria for different classes 3-class system (individual sports only) – A sport must have 450 participating schools –Class 1A: smallest 50% of all member schools –Class 2A: next smallest 25% of all member schools –Class 3A: remaining 25% of all member schools The following sports would be eligible for three classes: –boys and girls track & field, boys golf

Criteria for different classes 4-class system (bracketed team sports only) – A sport must have at least 600 teams participating –Class 1A: smallest 33.3% ( 3 / 9 ) of all member schools –Class 2A: next smallest 22.2% ( 2 / 9 ) of member schools –Class 3A: next smallest 22.2% ( 2 / 9 ) of member schools –Class 4A: remaining 22.2% ( 2 / 9 ) of member schools The following sports would be eligible for four classes: boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, girls volleyball

Sample 4-Class System (based on enrollments) % of member schoolsenrollments Class 1A33.3% of all member schools up to total member schools Class 2A22.2% of all member schools 289 to total member schools Class 3A22.2% of all member schools 714 to total member schools Class 4A22.2% of all member schools above total member schools (Number of schools in each sport by class) Total Schools BBaseBBaskGBaskGSoftGVolley 1A A A A TOTALS

4-Class System Rationale: –Essentially divides the current class A and class AA in half, aligning it nicely with the 2-class proposal. –Allows for 8 sectional complexes with at least 16 teams in each complex in all sports. –Creates a good balance of entries in all sectional complexes for the sports that would be potential 4-class sports. –Preserves, as closely as possible, the existing tournament structure. –Allows the IHSA to fulfill existing contractual obligations at state final sites.

Other 4-Class Considerations In each sport, 4 schools would qualify for the state finals in each of 4 classes (16 teams total). Class 1A and 2A would be conducted on the same weekend as Class A on the current IHSA calendar. Class 3A and 4A would be conducted on the same weekend as Class AA on the current IHSA calendar.

Other 4-Class Considerations Girls volleyball would be conducted on the current volleyball weekend. Each class would consist of the following: –4 super-sectionals –8 sectional complexes (with at least 16 schools in each sectional complex) –32 regional sites

Schedule for 4-Class System The state final schedule for all sports except girls volleyball would be as follows: 1A-2A weekend3A-4A weekend Friday Session 1 1A Semifinals3A Semifinals Session 2 2A Semifinals 4A Semifinals Saturday Session 31A Third & Championship 3A Third & Championship Session 42A Third & Championship 4A Third & Championship

Schedule for 4-Class System (volleyball) The state final schedule for girls volleyball would be as follows: State Finals weekend Friday Session 1 Semifinals in two classes Session 2 Semifinals in two classes Saturday Session 3Third & Championship in two classes Session 4Third & Championship in two classes

4-Class System In this proposal: –Schools will be guaranteed to play both days of the state finals. –Schools will only participate in one contest each day. –Schools will be able to sell tickets for both days and be finished with ticket sales before the tournament starts. –A school would be in the same class for each sport in the 4-class system. No school would be in Class A in one sport and Class 2A in another sport.

Geography of schools in the sample 4-class system The following maps show the location of the girls basketball schools in each class under the proposed 4-class system. (Other sports are very similar.) These maps will be available for review online in the IHSA Schools Center.

1A

2A

3A

4A

Sample 3-Class System (based on enrollments) % of member schoolsenrollment Class 1A50% of all member schoolsup to total member schools Class 2A25% of all member schools527 to total member schools Class 3A25% of all member schoolsabove total member schools (Number of schools in each sport by class) Total BTrackGTrackBGolf 1A A A Total

3-Class System Rationale: –Creates balance in terms of schools and entries in each class. –Creates consistent classes for schools in those sports that may go to 3 classes. –Keeps reasonably close to 2- and 4-class philosophy.

3-Class System Using the 50 / 25 / 25% split of the member schools the following is true for track & field: Class# of part. schools% of actual event entries Class 1A (up to 527)23235% Class 2A (above )15929% Class 3A (above 1513)17035%

3-Class System Using the 50/25/25% split of the member schools the following is true for boys golf: Class# of part. schools# of players Class 1A (up to 527) players (43%) Class 2A (above ) players(29%) Class 3A (above 1513) players(28%)

3-Class System Divides the number of schools and the number of entries equitably for each of the three classes. Allows the sectionals in each class to qualify the same number of entries to the state finals and provide a comparable state final for each class in that sport.

3-Class System (Track) Track would have 12 sectionals in each class with approximately 14 to 19 schools assigned to a sectional. This would increase the number of state qualifiers by a minimum of 224 participants. Each class would qualify a minimum of 432 athletes to the state final meet.

Geography of schools in the sample 3-class system The following maps show the location of the girls track & field schools in each class under the proposed 3-class system. (Other sports are very similar.) These maps will be available for review online in the IHSA Schools Center.

1A

2A

3A

Travel Policy The IHSA Board of Directors is also looking for feedback on its Travel Policy The current interpretation by the Board limits the number of miles a school can travel to participate in a contest. The current limit is 500 air miles (one way)

Travel Policy The Board is reviewing a proposal that would focus on loss of school time in place of mileage traveled. The proposal would stipulate that schools can not miss more than one school day to participate in an out of state contest.