IHSA Announcements

June 10, 1998

Board Approves Non-Athletic Activity Changes

Chess

1. Approved a recommendation that a team is expected to compete on the same number of boards in all rounds as the number of boards in which a team competes in Round 1 of the state tournament.
   
2. Approved a recommendation that if a time-delay clock is used in competition, it must be set for zero delay.
   
3. Approved a recommendation to increase the number of individual awards to include perfect scores on Boards 1 through 5.
   

Scholastic Bowl

1. Approved a recommendation to seed the teams in the sectionals with the top eight seeds distributed throughout the bracket and with four of the seeds hosting the regional. Seeding will be done at a seed meeting on Wednesday of Week 32 in the Standardized Calendar.
   
2. Approved a recommendation to conduct the regionals on Monday of Week 36.
   
3. Approved a change in the state final time schedule to conduct opening ceremonies at 11:00 a.m., round one from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., round two from 12:30-1:30 p.m., consolation and championship matches from 1:45-2:45 p.m. and the awards ceremony beginning at 2:45 p.m.
   
4. Tabled a recommendation of a penalty provision for players being out of team uniform.
   
5. Approved a school assessment fee of $100 for entering the series and withdrawing prior to the regional.
   
6. Approved a recommendation that the decision of the moderator shall be final.
   

Speech Debate

1. Approved a recommendation to increase state final policy judges' fees to $150.
   
2. Approved a recommendation to change from five minutes to three minutes the elapsed time a debater is allowed in a round.
   

Speech Drama/Group Interpretation

1. Approved change in the date of the state final during the 1999-2000 school year to March 31-April 1, 2000. The change is being made to allow for continued use of the facilities at Millikin University, Decatur.
   

Speech Individual Events

1. Approved recommendations to raise the school event fees to $7.00 per event entered in the regionals and sectionals and to increase the judges' fee to $15.00 per round for the regionals and $18.00 per round for the sectionals.
   

Sports Medicine

1. The Board received the report of the April 23, 1998, meeting. There were no recommendations from the advisory committee.
   

Soccer

1. Approved the Association's payment of the fees for a third official in regional games where the diagonal system is used.
   

Other Action

1. Approved a budget of $4,835,500 for the 1998-99 (next) school year.
   
   
2. Authorized the purchase of a new telephone system for the IHSA Office, replacing and upgrading the current system.
   
   
3. Received the report of the Equitable Promotions action team. The action team recommended that an Equity Advisory Committee be established. Such a committee would: a) create assessment instrument(s) used to evaluate scheduling, promotion and recognition; b) compile and evaluate information gathered by the different sport and activity advisory committee assessments; and c) monitor and work with the Association on equity issues. The Board directed the staff to develop a sub-committee within the Athletic Administrator Advisory Committee to perform these functions.
   
   
4. The Board received the report of the final recommendations of the non-school competition/coaching schools action team. The recommendations address potential changes in the areas of independent team participation, coaching school participation, summer participation, open gym limitations and the football sports season. The Board directed the IHSA staff to formulate a proposal for final review by the Board in July prior to submission by the Board to the IHSA Legislative Commission in the regular fall referendum process this November.
   
   
5. Adopted Personnel Policies for the IHSA Office for the 1998-99 (next) school year.
   
   
6. Approved modifications in the Officials' Licensing Policy which requires suspension of an official for indictment for criminal activity shall apply to both misdemeanors and felonies. Conviction of a misdemeanor will result in suspension of the official's license for the duration of the sentence and parole/probation. Reinstatement of the official's license for a misdemeanor conviction will be permitted immediately upon receipt of the completion of the sentence and parole/probation in the IHSA Office. The Board also approved modification of the language in the licensing policy to address indictment and/or conviction for drug-related offenses.
   

Eligibility Decisions

1. Sustained the Executive Director's ruling that a student be ineligible at Rockford (Christian Life) until November 28, 1998, for noncompliance with by-law 3.041. The student transferred to the school from Kirkland (Hiawatha). There has been no move to a new school district by the student and his parents.
   

Discussion Items

1. Ticket Prices: The Board heard discussion of ticket pricing for the 1998 (next) Football Playoff championship games. The championship games will be played as single-game sessions on Thanksgiving Weekend. Three games will be played Friday and three games will be played on Saturday. The new time schedule will be identical each day. Friday's schedule will be Class 1A at 11:00 a.m., Class 2A at 3:00 p.m. and Class 3A at 7:00 p.m. The Saturday schedule will be Class 4A at 11:00 a.m., Class 5A at 3:00 p.m. and Class 6A at 7:00 p.m. The board discussed single-session ticket pricing and a six-game season ticket price. The board also discussed super-sectional ticket pricing in boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball. Both concepts will be on the July agenda for action.
   
   
2. Annual Meeting Speaker: The Board heard a report that the guest speaker at the annual IHSA Breakfast during the fall Illinois Principals Assocation (IPA) Conference will be Pro Football Hall of Fame member and former University of Kentucky football coach Bill Curry. The IHSA Breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Hotel Pere Marquette, Peoria.