Jump to content
Head Coach Openings 2024 ×
  • Current Donation Goals

    • Raised $2,716 of $3,600 target

Why don't we go to 32 teams in all classes and play a 10th regular season game?


Recommended Posts

Illinois is an example that uses 32 teams in every class.  I don't think private schools are allowed into their state playoffs. Doesn't matter.  This would have to narrow the gaps in enrollment from the top of the class to the bottom.  The success factor can still be in the equation.  Just a thought.

I think the opportunity to play a 10th regular season game would be very enticing to 10-team conferences.  This would allow for an out of conference game along with playing each conference team in the regular season.  It may encourage some conferences to expand to 10 teams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure of the exact number of teams in each class in Illinois, but they do use a qualifier like every other state. If they have 32 teams in each class, that's the number that make the tournament. I also believe they don't set the class cutoffs until the qualified teams are determined. Then they split them into classes. Another very different approach. I personally like the playoff qualifier as it adds even more meaning to the regular season. People will argue teams that lose several games early will consider themselves out of the playoffs and not care any longer. In today's system they don't have to care either because they lose the rest of their games they still make the tournament so nothing changes for them. They are just hoping they get a lucky draw. If they don't their last game and their tournament game are no different.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Punttheball said:

That would definitely be an obstacle.  But you could always start at 8 am with games.

Even if we entertain that idea, there’s a three and a half hour gap between the starts of games. Still not sure how you fit five in per day.

8:00 AM

11:30 AM

3:00 PM

6:30 PM

10:00 PM?!?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So don't play all the games in Lucas Oil. Have the classes on a rotation for when they play there compared to other places. There are plenty of other places in the state a state championship game could be held. South Bend, Lafayette, and Bloomington aren't going to get filled up by two 2A high school football teams fan bases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

So don't play all the games in Lucas Oil. Have the classes on a rotation for when they play there compared to other places. There are plenty of other places in the state a state championship game could be held. South Bend, Lafayette, and Bloomington aren't going to get filled up by two 2A high school football teams fan bases.

No.  Absolutely not.  You solution to this is forget the small schools, or send a 6A Final to somewhere other than Lucas Oil?  Come on.  Let's be serious.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Daniel_Bragg said:

No.  Absolutely not.  You solution to this is forget the small schools, or send a 6A Final to somewhere other than Lucas Oil?  Come on.  Let's be serious.

Because the kids care more about where they are playing rather than having the opportunity to win a state championship for their school? Because playing in front of touchdown Jesus wouldn't be cool enough? Playing at Ross-ade stadium where kids probably grew up watching games their whole life wouldn't be cool enough? Never did I say forget the small schools. I said the classes would be on a rotation. Some classes would play at Lucas Oil Stadium, some would not. The next year they would flip. You pitch a better idea Caption Insano, I would love to hear it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

Because the kids care more about where they are playing rather than having the opportunity to win a state championship for their school? Because playing in front of touchdown Jesus wouldn't be cool enough? Playing at Ross-ade stadium where kids probably grew up watching games their whole life wouldn't be cool enough? Never did I say forget the small schools. I said the classes would be on a rotation. Some classes would play at Lucas Oil Stadium, some would not. The next year they would flip. You pitch a better idea Caption Insano, I would love to hear it.

My better idea is not doing this ridiculous idea of 32 teams in all classes.

I'd be more in favor of not all teams qualifying for the tournament, which I'm not advocating for either.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

Because the kids care more about where they are playing rather than having the opportunity to win a state championship for their school? Because playing in front of touchdown Jesus wouldn't be cool enough? Playing at Ross-ade stadium where kids probably grew up watching games their whole life wouldn't be cool enough? Never did I say forget the small schools. I said the classes would be on a rotation. Some classes would play at Lucas Oil Stadium, some would not. The next year they would flip. You pitch a better idea Caption Insano, I would love to hear it.

Yeah the media would love having to figure out how to juggle and do assignments for the state championship.

“Ok Jerry. You go to South Bend for the 4A championship game between Scecina and Fort Wayne Luers. We’ll send Bob to Lucas Oil Stadium to cover the 9A title game between Cathedral and Fort Wayne Snider.”

Also, the IHSAA would essentially have to broadcast overlapping championship games. Not feasible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Daniel_Bragg said:

My better idea is not doing this ridiculous idea of 32 teams in all classes.

I'd be more in favor of not all teams qualifying for the tournament, which I'm not advocating for either.

Yeah, it was just an idea.  I'm not sure how ridiculous it is.  We already have 2 classes that are 32 teams.  Some people want it switched to be 1a and 6a not 5a and 6a.  I am not for that.  I would like all schools to play a 10th regular season game.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Punttheball said:

Yeah, it was just an idea.  I'm not sure how ridiculous it is.  We already have 2 classes that are 32 teams.  Some people want it switched to be 1a and 6a not 5a and 6a.  I am not for that.  I would like all schools to play a 10th regular season game.  

I do too, taking out one of the scrimmages is the best route to do that, imo. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Titan32 said:

Dumb idea to leave Lucas Oil.  Great Idea to go to 10 games by eliminating the worthless scrimmage game.  

How about 40 team classes?  8 championship games....4 each day?

Just at first glance, other than the first 40 schools, all the other classes wouldn't have a difference of more than 200 kids. It wouldn't be terrible. Only problem is you then have to change the playoff format to something other than everyone in the class getting in. I could be wrong, but I think that was what was said at the beginning of this topic. 32 team class everyone still makes it in. Add a week 10. So 40 schools would help with that enrollment gap from what i looked at, it would create more obstacles with the playoffs tho.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First - Illinois has 526 football playing schools (according to CalPreps).  Only 256 make their playoffs (8 classes of 32)

Second - P/P do play in the IHSA Playoffs (not the 'tournament' as the IHSAA calls it.)  Teams without defined boundaries - like P/P's, Charters, and the like get hit with a multiplier which is 1.65

Class 1A and 5A both kicked off at 10 AM Central the Friday/Saturday after Thanksgiving. And since Indiana swears it's an Eastern Time Zone state, it's possible for a 9AM kickoff for a central time school.  While it's a privilege to play for the state title - 9 or 10 AM just seems a bit much - especially for a team to unload underneath LOS and hit the field for pre-game warm ups. Not really interested. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, JustRules said:

Not sure of the exact number of teams in each class in Illinois, but they do use a qualifier like every other state. If they have 32 teams in each class, that's the number that make the tournament. I also believe they don't set the class cutoffs until the qualified teams are determined. Then they split them into classes. Another very different approach. I personally like the playoff qualifier as it adds even more meaning to the regular season. People will argue teams that lose several games early will consider themselves out of the playoffs and not care any longer. In today's system they don't have to care either because they lose the rest of their games they still make the tournament so nothing changes for them. They are just hoping they get a lucky draw. If they don't their last game and their tournament game are no different.

Texas used to do something like this wherein, after their teams were determined for the post-season, the top two teams in a district were placed in Division 1 and the 3rd/4th team were placed in Division 2.  All teams in a district were the same class, so you'd have, for example, two 6A Division 1 schools and two 6A Division 2 schools coming out of a district.  Was easy to do, but also had some lopsided number in the division because, in one district you could have four of the smallest teams in the state playing and thus, the top two teams in the district would be, likely, playing against much larger schools.  They've since changed things where they assign the schools to divisions before the season starts based on enrollment.  As such, Division 1 schools will be the biggest schools regardless of district.  You can see cutoffs here: https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2023/12/08/breaking-uil-announces-enrollment-cutoffs-for-2024-26-district-realignment.

3 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

How do you fit 10 state championship games in on Thanksgiving weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium?

Texas played 12 championship games this past season; two divisions across six classes.  Took them four days to do it at AT&T Stadium ... three per day starting on Wednesday, but they weren't dancing around Thanksgiving though.  I can't imagine Indiana doing four days worth of games ... and definitely not over Thanksgiving.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

Even if we entertain that idea, there’s a three and a half hour gap between the starts of games. Still not sure how you fit five in per day.

8:00 AM

11:30 AM

3:00 PM

6:30 PM

10:00 PM?!?!

You would almost have to move games to Thursday or to Sunday.

This means each weekend the State Finals occur the Colts will not be able to host a Thanksgiving Day game (if the games start Thursday) or would need to have a bye or play away on the Sunday after (if the games move to Sunday).

Thursday games:  1pm - 4pm - 7pm

Friday: 1pm - 4pm - 7pm

Saturday: 10am - 1pm - 4pm - 7pm

or 

Friday games: 10am - 1pm -4pm - 7pm 

Saturday: 10am - 1pm - 4pm - 7pm

Sunday games: Noon - 3:30pm. (this could even move forward to 10am so that players can get home in time for school on Monday).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Daniel_Bragg said:

No.  Absolutely not.  You solution to this is forget the small schools, or send a 6A Final to somewhere other than Lucas Oil?  Come on.  Let's be serious.

I second that. No point in allowing weather to be a determining factor in the state championship.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

Just at first glance, other than the first 40 schools, all the other classes wouldn't have a difference of more than 200 kids. It wouldn't be terrible. Only problem is you then have to change the playoff format to something other than everyone in the class getting in. I could be wrong, but I think that was what was said at the beginning of this topic. 32 team class everyone still makes it in. Add a week 10. So 40 schools would help with that enrollment gap from what i looked at, it would create more obstacles with the playoffs tho.

I think there are brackets to make it work with byes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, BTF said:

I second that. No point in allowing weather to be a determining factor in the state championship.

Come on....could you imagine running onto Notre Dame Stadium's turf as a Senior at list any 1A or 2A school for your final game of football...

I know the post said 6A, but I think it would be interesting for any class.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Titan32 said:

I think there are brackets to make it work with byes.

Ok.  Let's make this work.  

Scrimmage Week is Game 1 and Weeks 1-9 make a 10 game regular season. 

You MUST win 2 games against another IHSAA school to qualify.  If you can't get 2 wins out of 10 games then just move on to basketball.  For reference in 2023 there were 47 teams with 10 or 9 losses.  A 9 loss team either finished 1-8 and lost Round 1 or got lucky with a draw finished 2-9 or 3-9.  But to get 9 losses, you had to be 1-8 after week 9. 

Last year that means 315 - 47 = 268 "qualifiers" for this set up.  Even could allow a few more teams that scheduled wins, because the magic number would be 272.

Top 32 in enrollment = 6A tournament

Remaining 240 qualifiers split into 5 even classes of 48.  Seeded obviously with the top 16 in each class getting a bye and let a bunch of 2 & 3 win teams face each other round 1 (week 10 of current schedule).  Week 11 is round 2, each class has 32 teams and the 6 classes will still crown champs Thanksgiving weekend in LOS.

If I were omnipotent commissioner for a day, this is what I set up. 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...