IHSA Announcements

December 2, 1996

Hancock Stadium To Continue As Football Title Game Site

BLOOMINGTON — The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved renewal of its contract with Illinois State University to host the annual Football Playoffs at its regular meeting Monday (Dec. 2) in the IHSA Office.

Illinois State University has hosted the championship games in the IHSA Football Playoff Series since their inception in 1974, and Hancock Stadium will continue to be site for them for the next four years (through the games of the year 2000).

"Hancock Stadium is a very fan friendly facility that puts supporters of the competing teams close to the action," said IHSA Executive Director Dave Fry. "The cooperation we receive from the Redbird athletic department helps to make our championship games a very positive experience for the personnel from the competing teams, their students and fans."

Eligibility Decisions

  1. Sustained the Executive Director's decision that a student is ineligible at Barrington for the 1996-97 school year for non-compliance with transfer by-law 3.043.
  2. Modified the Executive Director's decision in light of new information presented at the meeting, and ruled that a student be eligible at Lansing (Illiana Christian) as of Dec 2, 1996 in compliance with residence by-law 3.041.
  3. Sustained the Executive Director's decision that a student is ineligible at Gilman (Iroquois West) for the 1996-97 school year for non-compliance with transfer by-law 3.041.
  4. Sustained the Executive Director's decision that a student is ineligible at Zion (Z.-Benton) for the first semester of the 1996-97 school year for non-compliance with transfer by-law 3.043, and that Zion-Benton forfeit all contests during the 1995-96 school year in which he participated as an ineligible student.

Discussion Items

At each meeting of the Board of Directors there are certain agenda items which the Board discusses but upon which it does not act. Following is a report of those on the December, 1996, agenda:
  1. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: The Board received a report of mandatory ejections from the fall sports through Nov. 20. There have been 509 player or coach ejections for unsportsmanlike conduct reported to the IHSA Office. By sport they were: boys golf 1, girls golf 1, fall baseball 2, girls volleyball 7, girls swimming 1, girls cross country 1, boys football 226 and boys soccer 270.
  2. Strategic Planning: Recruitment of action team members is under way. The Board heard a status report of that process. IHSA staff will prepare a recommendation for the next steps to be taken for the Board's consideration at its January, 1997, meeting.
  3. Out-Of-Season Participation: The Board heard a report from the 1996 Legislative Commission meetings. The commission commended the Board for appointing the Public/Private School Issues Task Force, and recommended the Board utilize a similar process to undertake a study of out-of-season participation issues. In addition, the Board reviewed the Strategic Planning Team recommendation regarding the same issue.
  4. Football Issues: The Board heard a report of the status of two items approved by the Football Advisory Committee last year which were tabled by the Board pending completion of the work of the Public/Private School Issues Task Force. It was noted that the 1996 meeting of the Football Advisory Committee was scheduled for Thursday (Dec. 5), and that its agenda included both items. One tabled recommendation was expansion in the number of classes from six (6) to eight (8) and the other was to classify public schools on the basis of actual enrollment while continuing to classify private schools on the basis of their actual enrollment or the average enrollment of their opponents, whichever is greater.
  5. Basketball Classification Survey: The Board heard a preliminary report of responses to its survey of member schools regarding classification in boys/girls basketball.
  6. March Madness Litigation: The Board heard a status report of litigation regarding March Madness.