October 13, 2005
The Illinois High School Association’s boys basketball tournament will celebrate its 100th anniversary in March of 2007. While one or two states may claim to have an older tournament, no tournament in the nation that is sponsored by a state high school association is older than the IHSA’s. Over that century, the tournament has had its share of special moments and legendary performances. It has been a part of the fabric of life in Illinois for generations, capturing a special place in the hearts of Illinoisans each March.
As a part of the tournament’s centennial celebration, the IHSA will be announcing "100 Legends of the State Tournament." Fans will be able to have a voice in the process, as voting for the legends will be held between December 8, 2005, and March 20, 2006. Fans will be able to vote online through the IHSA Web site or by casting a ballot at one of the participating sponsors of the "100 Legends of the State Tournament."
Although the start of voting is still a few weeks away, the IHSA is asking news media to participate by suggesting names of individuals in your area who may be deserving of a spot on the Legends ballot. As you begin thinking of names that you may wish to submit, the IHSA has developed the following as the qualifying criteria for a legend of the state tournament:
"...any individual (player, coach, media member, official, or administrator) who, through his or her performance or service, has made a significant contribution to or left a lasting impression on the IHSA boys basketball state tournament, thereby aiding in the tournament’s growth over its 100- year existence."
The official tip-off for the 100 Legends of the IHSA State Tournament will be held on December 6, 2005, during a press conference at the IHSA Office. Prior to that time, members of the IHSA staff will be available for interviews prior to and during the voting "season" for any interested members of the media. For those wishing to schedule an interview, the media can contact Anthony Holman, Scott Johnson, or Kurt Gibson at the IHSA Office.
The procedures for the voting process will be as follows:
1. ELIGIBILITY FOR NOMINATION AS A LEGEND: All nominees must have participated (as a player, coach, or official) in at least one game at the IHSA boys state final tournament from 1908 to 2005.
2. NOMINEE GROUPS: Voting will be conducted in a total of 20 groups representing seven geographic areas of the state and three eras of high school basketball. The seven geographic areas will mirror the present IHSA Board of Directors divisions. The three eras will be 1908-40, 1941-71, and 1972-2005. (Because Board Division 1, the city of Chicago, had minimal participation in the state finals prior to 1941, no fan voting will conducted in this group.) Persons who participated in more than one geographic area or era will be placed in the group that most accurately represents their participation.
3. ELECTION BY FANS: For each 1908-40 group of nominees, fans will elect two Legends from a slate of 10 nominees. For each 1941-71 group, fans will elect four Legends from a slate of 15 nominees. For each 1972-2005 group, fans will elect six Legends from a slate of 20 nominees. Altogether fans will elect 82 Legends, ten from IHSA Board of Directors Division 1 and twelve from the other six Board Divisions.
4. ONLINE VOTING PROCEDURES: Online fan voting will be conducted on the IHSA Web site (www.ihsa.org) from Thursday, December 8, 2005 to Monday, March 20, 2006. Fans may vote an unlimited number of times in any or all of the 20 groups. Fans may cast write-in votes in any group. IHSA reserves the right to cancel votes that show a pattern of mechanical ballot-stuffing.
5. PAPER VOTING PROCEDURES: Paper voting will be conducted from Thursday, December 8, 2005 to Monday, March 20, 2006.
6. AT-LARGE SELECTION: After the 82 Legends elected by the fans have been determined, an additional 18 Legends will be selected by a blue-ribbon committee. The committee will consider nominees who missed election by the fans as well as contributors in various off-the-court categories such as media and administration.
7. ANNOUNCEMENT OF LEGENDS: The 100 Legends will be announced on the IHSA Web site on Monday, March 27, 2006.