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Classification System, continued
3. Success Adjustment
Programs at non-boundary schools will be subject to the success adjustment if, over the course of a two-year classification period, a program wins two (2) trophies at the state finals. In such a case, the program will be adjusted up one class from the class in which the program won its trophies for the next two-year classification period.
4. Playing Up
A school may petition to play in a higher classification in a particular sport or activity. The request must be for a minimum of two years and must arrive at the IHSA Office no later than September 1.
Classification Cutoffs for 2021-22 and 2022-23 are available at ihsa.org.
18. Grouping and Seeding State Tournament Series
Developing a Rationale for Grouping and Seeding State Tournament Series
The cornerstone of IHSA state tournaments has long been geographic assignments to the state series leading to geographic representation at State Final tournaments. The geographical concept was developed to insure that interscholastic participation was compatible with a school’s educational objectives. The geographic concept helped maintain a “reasonableness” to competition and safeguarded key resources such as time and money, while, at the same time, providing for a structure that was equitable to all member schools. Since 1991, when sectional complexes were first adopted in Class AA basketball, IHSA administrators struggled with how to group and seed the lower- level tournaments in other sports and activities. Without an official policy regarding seeding, the current system has developed into a hodgepodge that lacks consistency and an overarching rationale.
It is important to note that the interscholastic programs of a school are designed to enrich the educational process (* Note Article 1.140 of the Constitution). The establishment of sound standards and procedures for the regulation and control of interscholastic programs not only provide for fairness and equity, but they also keep the programs in an educational context. The geographic principle is essential to regulating the character of interscholastic competition. This document strips away the conflicting arguments and returns to the IHSA’s fundamental principles to establish a framework for organizing a state tournament series.
The Geographic Principle of IHSA State Tournament Series
1. The State Series is designed to determine a State Champion. The State Series is not intended to necessarily advance the best teams in the state to the State Final.
2. Representation in an IHSA State Final Tournament is determined on a geographic basis — that is, schools advancing to the State Final Tournament (or in Boys Football, the State Final Game) qualify from given geographical areas of the state. Pairings for the State Final Tournament are determined every year in a drawing that is open to the media/public.
3. The number of schools in a State Final Tournament, and levels of competition in the State Series, are determined by the number of schools entered in the series.
4. Schools are assigned to first level tournaments/meets on a geographical basis so that there is a reasonable balance in the number of schools assigned at each first level site.
A. Factors considered in assigning schools to first level tournaments include: 1. Schools willing/eligible/selected to host and their location;
2. Number of schools entered in state series and their locations; and,
3. Classification of schools in the state series.
4. In individual state series tournaments/meets, the number of schools with full teams assigned to the beginning competition is balanced as much as possible. Travel distance to the tournament/meet site could justify an imbalance in the number of schools assigned to a site.
B. Factors considered in assigning schools to first level tournaments do not include: 1. Won-lost records of the schools;
2. Strengths or weaknesses of the schools in a geographic area;
3. Anticipated or potential revenue; and
4. Individual, private requests of schools and/or coaches.
5. Assignments to first level tournaments are reviewed and rearranged every 3 years (though the host of each first level tournament may change from year to year). Sometimes, changes in schools willing to host or schools entered may necessitate intermediate adjustments to the assignments.
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