The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington on Monday, June 10, 2024, where the Board made decisions on two state final sites and approved the addition of the shot clock in the sport of basketball beginning in 2026-27, while also adjusting the state final schedule for America’s Original March Madness.
BASS FISHING STATE FINALS MOVE TO LAKE SHELBYVILLE
The IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals will be contested at Lake Shelbyville in Shelbyville beginning in 2025. The host bid was prepared and supported by Shelbyville High School, the city of Shelbyville, Lake Shelbyville, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who oversee Lake Shelbyville, and several local community chambers of commerce. The five-year hosting commitment will encompass the State Finals in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029.
“We are excited to start a new chapter as the IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals transition to Lake Shelbyville in 2025,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We enjoyed our 15 years at Carlyle Lake and appreciate all that the Carlyle Lake staff and surrounding communities did to support the tourney and help it thrive. Lake Shelbyville is an equally worthy lake and we look forward to providing a first-class experience to our anglers there. We also need to thank the U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers, who oversee both Lake Shelbyville and Carlyle Lake, as their efforts to prepare and keep our students safe make them vital to the state tournament experience.”
The IHSA became the first high school state association in the country to hold a high school bass fishing state championship when the inaugural IHSA State Finals were held in 2009 at Lake Carlyle.
“We are thrilled that Lake Shelbyville has been selected as the future host of the IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals,” said Shelbyville Mayor Jeff Johnson. “Bass fishing is such a wonderful activity for our high school youth and an honor for all the participants. We look forward to working together to make it an exciting event for everyone.”
WILLOWBROOK TO HOST INAUGURAL GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL STATE FINALS
Willowbrook High School in Villa Park will serve as the host of the inaugural IHSA Girls Flag Football State Finals in the fall of 2024. The three-year hosting contract will debut on Friday and Saturday, October 18-19, and then return to Willowbrook High School for the 2025 and 2026 state finals.
“The Willowbrook High School team, coaching staff, and administration have been a model program in girls flag football in the state, so it seems fitting that they will serve as the host of the inaugural state finals,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We appreciate their passion for the sport and are excited to work together to create lifelong memories for our participating schools.”
In February, the IHSA announced at Halas Hall in Lake Forest that Girls Flag Football would become the 32nd sport to contest an IHSA State Series.
“As one of the pioneers of girls flag football in Illinois, we are thrilled to host the first IHSA State Championship at Willowbrook High School,” said Rachel Karos, Willowbrook Girls Flag Football Head Coach. “We are proud to be part of growing girls flag football in Illinois, throughout the U.S. and internationally. Through the support of the IHSA and the Chicago Bears, girls flag football creates tremendous opportunities for a diverse group of students – including engaging them with athletics, providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences and connecting them to scholarships. The inaugural IHSA State Championship will be a historic event to continue to drive the sport forward and inspire the next generation. We are excited to provide an experience that promotes inclusion, access, diversity and equity for female athletes in Illinois.”
Prior to the IHSA starting a State Series, the Chicago Bears hosted a girls flag football state championship tournament, which Willowbrook won in 2022.
SHOT CLOCK COMING TO IHSA BASKETBALL IN 2026-27; STATE FINAL SCHEDULE UPDATED
The IHSA Board of Directors approved two recommendations brought forth by the IHSA Basketball advisory committee.
A 35-second shot clock will be required for usage in varsity girls and boys basketball games beginning with the 2026-27 school year. Use of the shot clock for lower-level (freshman, sophomore, junior varsity) contests will be determined by conferences and via mutual agreement by competing teams in non-conference games.
“The IHSA has allowed the shot clock to be used in tournaments and shootouts the past two seasons, and the overwhelming feedback we have received from coaches is that it is time to embrace the shot clock in all varsity contests,” said IHSA Executive Director. “We believe the two-season lead time will provide our schools with ample opportunity to install the shot clocks and get comfortable with them from both a coaching and game administration perspective.”
Additionally, the committee recommended a new state final time schedule that will ensure a two-day experience for all participating teams.
“It’s been fairly unanimous in the Illinois high school basketball community that moving the state tournament to a single-weekend format has been a success,” said Anderson. “Our coaches believe this new schedule will provide an even better experience for all the student-athletes, coaches, and fans. We look forward to seeing it play out when we celebrate America’s Original March Madness next winter.”
ACTION
1. The Board approved a recommendation from the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) to expand the requirement of CPR/AED training to include all coaches/advisors for IHSA sport and activity teams. The IHSA added a requirement that at least one coach/advisor have CPR/AED training in June 2023 and chose to expand the requirement to all coaches/advisors beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
2. The Board approved a recommendation to add an additional data point, outside of the current Power Rating metric, for IHSA administrators to consider when assigning officials to IHSA State Series events. The data point was created and recommended by an IHSA officiating sub-committee.
3. The Board approved a recommendation to create numeric requirements for the rating of officials by IHSA coaches, as well as consequences for coaches who fail to submit officials ratings. The rating requirements were created and recommended by an IHSA officiating sub-committee.
The number of officials ratings by sport and consequences for failing to submit ratings can be found here.
KURT GIBSON, IHSA ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
“Supporting our officials has never been more important than it is right now, and we appreciate the members of our officiating sub-committee for volunteering their time and talents to usher in changes that we believe will positively impact all IHSA officials, as well as our competing schools. We want our State Series officials assignments to be reflective of who coaches believe are the top current officials in their respective sports. In order to do that, we need qualitative data, and believe implementing this system will equally benefit coaches and officials.”
4. The Board approved a recommendation to adopt official rules for the 2024 IHSA Girls Flag Football season. The 2024 IHSA Girls Flag Football Rules can be viewed here.
5. The Board approved a recommendation to increase State Series payments for Athletic Officials and Activity Judges.
6. The Board approved a recommendation to increase State Series host guarantees in select IHSA sports and rounds.
7. The Board approved a recommendation to increase mileage reimbursement for Officials and School Personnel from 30 cents per mile to 45 cents per mile.
8. The Board approved a recommendation to increase State Series ticket prices by $1 to $2 in multiple sports in some Regional, Sectional, Super-Sectional, State Finals, and Playoff Football rounds. The price updates will be updated in each sports' Terms & Conditions in the near future.
9. The Board approved a recommendation to increase the State Series withdrawal penalty to $500.
10. The Board approved a recommendation to hold the 2024 Academic All-State Team banquet on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
11. The Board approved a recommendation that will provide eligibility accommodations for students transferring from Aquin High School to other schools that were a part of coops with Aquin, following the closing of Aquin at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
12. The Board approved a recommendation to change staff titles within the IHSA office.
13. The Board approved a recommendation to adopt an IHSA Lighting Standards Policy. The Policy provides recommended standards and best practices for athletic venue lighting when schools are renovating or building new athletic facilities. See the IHSA Lighting Standards Policy here.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Minutes from all Advisory Committees can be viewed by clicking here.
1. The Board approved the consent items from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities: Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Chess, Dance, Esports, Gymnastics, Music, Officials, Scholastic Bowl, Soccer, Speech, Sportsmanship, Sports Medicine, Student Advisory Committee, Swimming & Diving, and Wrestling.
Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff. Consent items can be viewed by clicking here.
Non-consent items are recommendations from sport or activity committees that did not receive a majority vote from the Athletic Advisory Committee or IHSA staff.
One non-consent item was approved:
Boys & Girls Bowling
1. Spectators will no longer be allowed to use ladders during the IHSA State Series.
Consent Items of note include:
Boys Bowling
1. Regionals expanded to 18 sites and Sectionals expanded to six sites.
Dance
1. A deduction for dancing outside the competition boundary changed from a 1.0 deduction to a 0.25 deduction.
Girls Wrestling
1. An additional Regional will be added to feed into each Sectional.
esports
1. Madden football added to IHSA State Series.
APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Homewood-Flossmoor High School. The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.030.
2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Peoria High School. The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.
3. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Fenwick High School in Oak Park. The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.042.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the June 10, 2024, agenda:
1. The Board heard a report on the new by-laws and changes to existing by-laws that will be in place for the 2024-25 school year beginning on July 1. During the IHSA’s annual legislation process in November and December, IHSA schools proposed and voted on seven by-law changes. Read more on the by-law changes by clicking here.
2. The Board asked the IHSA staff to develop a by-law interpretation clarifying that the changes to IHSA By-law 3.120 (All-Star Game Participation) that go into effect in 2024-25 do not create limitations for individual events, such as track & field invitationals based on top times/marks.
3. The Board heard a report on the upcoming NFHS Summer Meeting.
4. The Board heard a report on State Series participation for each IHSA sport and activity as a part of its annual review of Policy 14 (Review Guidelines for Adding and Deleting State Series Programs).
5. The Board reviewed and discussed potential winter and spring acclimatization guidelines proposed by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC). The Board presented feedback for SMAC to review and plans to revisit the topic in the fall.
6. The Board heard an update presentation from representatives from TPG, the IHSA’s corporate sponsorship partner.