The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors approved a recommendation at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, February 7, 2011 to award new state final hosting site contracts for the IHSA Boys Soccer State Final tournaments.
Beginning in the fall of 2011, the Class 1A Boys Soccer State Final Tournament will be held at The Corn Crib in Normal. The Corn Crib was completed in 2010 and is the home of the Normal Cornbelters minor league baseball team and served as the home field for the Heartland Community College boys and girls soccer teams over the course of the past year. The Corn Crib accommodates seating for 4,200 fans and offers additional seating in grass areas down each outfield line. The field features state of the art synthetic Sprinturf.
The Corn crib hosting bid was submitted by the Normal Cornbelters, the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Bloomington Sports Commission.
“We are thrilled to be awarded the IHSA Class 1A Boys Soccer State Tournament,” said Cornbelters Assistant General Manager Kyle Kreger. “Our goal has always been to make this a community park that goes beyond only Cornbelters and Heartland events. We have added a strong third component with the IHSA and think this a great thing for the Cornbelters, Heartland Community College and the Bloomington-Normal area.”
The Class 2A/3A tournament moves to the campus of Lincoln-Way North High School in Frankfort next fall. Lincoln-Way North Stadium, constructed in 2008, will host the event on its FieldTurf surface. The stadium holds a capacity of 3,400 fans, while the facility is built into a three-quarter bowl that features a grass berm above the north endzone that can accommodate another 1,000-plus spectators.
“We are very excited to host the Class 2A and 3A IHSA Boys Soccer State Finals,” said Lincoln-Way North Principal and IHSA Board member Dr. Michael Gardner. “Not only do we have a great facility and community to offer, but we also feel like our accessibility from all the major highways will be a positive for the incoming teams and fans. The IHSA and the Lincoln-Way School District have enjoyed a great relationship and we look forward to adding another state final event to our hosting duties.”
The Lincoln-Way School District has jointly hosted the IHSA Boys Gymnastics State Finals at its East campus since 2009.
North Central College in Naperville has hosted the boys state soccer tournaments since 2001 and will continue to host all three classes of the IHSA Girls Soccer State Final tournaments in the spring.
“We have a great relationship with North Central College and appreciate everything they have done in hosting the IHSA Boys Soccer State Finals,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “Unfortunately, their football schedule was going to create some date conflicts with our tournament over the next few years. That fact coupled with some other scheduled events made them decide not to renew the boys hosting contract. We thank them again for their service and believe that the Corn Crib and Lincoln-Way North are going to offer first-class state championship experiences.”
The contracts call for both sites to host from 2011 through 2015.
ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to call a special meeting of the IHSA Legislative Commission. In December, during the IHSA By-law Amendment process, IHSA member schools voted to eliminate the IHSA’s non-traditional fall softball season for all schools except those who currently do not field volleyball teams. The membership also voted to keep the non-traditional fall baseball season.
This result created a gender equity concern for the IHSA Board, who are asking the Legislative Commission to either eliminate the non-traditional fall baseball season for all schools except those who currently do not field football teams or reinstate the non-traditional fall softball season.
2. The Board approved a recommendation to approve District 205’s plan for the 2011-12 school term that would allow for District 205 to maintain three competing IHSA member schools: Dolton (Thornridge), Harvey (Thornton) and South Holland (Thornwood), while only having freshman students attending the Thornridge campus. Despite having all freshman students at Thornridge, the district will continue to track the students by the three schools’ attendance areas and have them play on the respective high school teams accordingly, regardless of which building they attend school at.
3. The Board approved a recommendation from the State Board of Education to offer conditional membership approval to non-public schools seeking initial recognition. The IHSA Board and Executive Director will review each school on a case-by-case basis.
4. The Board approved a recommendation to adopt the following Board Meeting schedule for the 2011-12 school term:
Monday, August 8
Monday, September 12
Tuesday, October 11
Tuesday, October 18 at IPA Conference Luncheon
Monday, December 12
Monday, January 9
Monday, February 13
Saturday, March 17 at Peoria
Tuesday, April 17
Monday, June 11
FALL TERMS & CONDITIONS RECOMENDATIONS
1. The Board approved the consent items for all fall Terms and Conditions recommendations that were approved by the respective advisory committee, the athletic administrators committee and the IHSA staff. Items of note are listed below by sport.
Cross Country
- The Regional structure in Class 2A will be expanded to 12 Regional sites and Class 3A to 15 Regional sites.
Boys & Girls Volleyball
- The State Series schedule for Boys & Girls Volleyball will be amended to the following:
Seven Team Regional: The upper portion of the bracket’s preliminary/quarterfinal contests shall be played on Monday, October 24, 2011. The lower portion of the bracket’s preliminary/quarterfinal contests shall be played on Tuesday, October 25, 2011. All semifinal contests shall be played on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 with the championship occurring on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
Five/Six Team Regional: Preliminary/regional quarterfinals shall be played on Monday, October 24, 2011 with semifinal contests on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 or Wednesday, October 26, 2011 and the regional championship shall be played on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
Four Team Regional: Teams shall play their semifinal matches (matches 1 and 2) on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 or Wednesday, October 26, 2011. The regional championship shall be played on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a foreign exchange student from Peoria (P. Christian). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-laws 3.030 and 3.040.
2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a transfer student from Normal (Calvary Christian Academy). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040.
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 February 7, 2011, agenda:
1. The Board heard an update on the State Series suspensions of schools who have failed to attend Principals Rules Meetings for the past two years.
Chicago (Orr) and Chicago (Henry Ford Power House Charter) requested and were granted a special make-up meeting at the IHSA last week. Both attended and are eligible to participate in IHSA State Series events immediately.
The schools currently on suspension are Chicago (Academy of Scholastic Achievement), Chicago (Best Practice), Chicago (Las Casas) and Rockford (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart).
2. The Executive Director reviewed a recent meeting between the IHSA staff and members of the Rockford Public School District #205 and the Rockford Park District. The Rockford Park District will take on some of the responsibilities of the District’s high school athletic programs in regard to venues, resources and coaching. Rockford Public School District #205 has yet to submit a finalized plan that the IHSA has ruled to be in compliance with IHSA by-laws, but the Executive Director is confident that a compliant plan will be submitted based on the results of the meeting.
3. The Executive Director reviewed the 2009-10 Annual Report with the Board.