Football playoff expansion was among 12 new changes to the IHSA’s [Illinois High School Association] bylaws approved Monday.
The change adds 16 schools to the brackets of each of the eight classes, determined by student enrollment, that make up the IHSA Football Championships. The same amendment also moved the start of the regular season up a week by eliminating scrimmages traditionally held the week before the first game. There were 377 yes votes, 252 no votes and 96 no-opinion votes. To pass a measure in this process, yes votes must outnumber no votes.
Previously eligibility could be achieved through several factors, including by being crowned champion of a conference with six or more schools, by winning six or more games in a season, or by being selected by IHSA-determined factors as a five-win school. New rules will make schools with as few as three wins over a nine-game season eligible.
“We are hopeful that this football playoff expansion will provide intended relief to our schools by stabilizing conference movement and eliminating the difficulty of scheduling football games that many of our schools face each year,” said Craig Anderson, executive director of the IHSA, in a written statement.
“It may create some short-term complications for some schools, conferences and coaches, but we remain optimistic it will create long-term stability in football and beyond.”
An effort to end the practice of improving playoff odds by playing in conferences mostly made up of further-away schools failed in 2023.
Other changes
Some other changes approved included:
- An expansion of the IHSA board of directors from 11 to 15 members. The new seats were created specifically for superintendents [but could also be held by presidents, heads of schools, etc.].
- Modifying the suspension for ejection from a football game to allow for a process for video review of the instance to clarify the accuracy of the judgement call. IHSA staff will review video sent by the player’s school and make a recommendation to the executive director to affirm or overturn an ejection. If overturned, the student would no longer have to miss their next football contest to serve a suspension.
- Moving the IHSA no-contact period from early August to the week of July 4. Schools may not practice, compete, hold open gyms, provide conditioning or weight training during a no-contact week.
- A rule making cooperative sports teams of two or more schools made up of 3,500 or more students ineligible for IHSA State Series team awards.
- Moving the start and end of softball and boys volleyball seasons one week earlier. The start and end of the girls wrestling season was moved up multiple weeks.
