The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, where the Board approved two action items.
ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to reemploy the Associate Executive Director, Assistant Executive Directors and Executive Assistant/Office Manager.
2. The Board approved a recommendation to authorize the Executive Director to appoint member school Athletic Directors to serve as Tellers for IHSA Nominations, Elections and Proposals during the 2022-23 school year. Appointed individuals include:
Nominations: Tony Bauman, Bloomington (H.S.)
Elections: Nicolas Kearfott, Normal (Community)
Proposals: Wes Temples, Normal (Community West)
APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Highland Park. The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.042.
2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Marion (Crab Orchard). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-laws 3.030 and 3.040.
3. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Plainfield (East). The student was seeking an exemption to NFHS Volleyball Rule 4-1-7A (Player Equipment & Uniform).
DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken, or that action may not be required. The following is a report of those items from the April 12, 2022, agenda:
1. The Board discussed seeding all classes of the IHSA Football Playoffs 1-32. In February, the Board approved a non-consent item to allow all eight playoff classes to be seeded 1-32 beginning in 2022. Previously, only Class 7A and 8A were seeded 1-32, while Class 1A-6A were split into a North/South brackets that were seeded 1-16. The Board discussed the possibility of studying modifications to the seeding process in the event that 1-32 creates extreme travel scenarios.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“Following the decision in February, some Board members heard feedback from constituents in their respective areas expressing concerns over the potential for extreme travel, and the financial implications that can come along with it. The Board recognizes there is validity in those concerns. They have asked our staff to gather more information and data for the Board to review. There is past precedence in the IHSA playoff process for modifying seeding in the event of extreme travel. For example, what we could look to do is begin with 1-32 seeding, but if it creates extreme travel in a certain class, we may then revert that class to North/South 1-16 bracketing if it alleviates those travel concerns. We aren’t yet at the point of defining what “extreme travel” is or might mean for this scenario, but will get to work on studying the issue and providing a recommendation to the Board ahead of the 2022 season.”
2. The Board discussed the results of a recent survey on the basketball shot clock. The survey was sent to IHSA basketball coaches, school administrators, and officials. The Board will revisit the topic in June after the IHSA Basketball Advisory Committee meets to discuss it.
3. The Board reviewed and discussed a letter requesting that the Board consider adding Policy related to use of Native American mascots by IHSA schools. The Board will review this topic at a future.
4. The Board heard a report on a book study initiative being led by the NFHS’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee that IHSA staff and board members will take part in.
5. The Board discussed IHSA Competitive Cheerleading and the threshold of male competitors required to compete in the IHSA’s Coed division.
6. The Board discussed collegiate NIL rules and plans to study the issue and its impact on high school students in Illinois in the near future.