IHSAA Should Mandate Week 10 Games for Class 5A and 6A

[Guest DT]

Just to even things out and continue on the course of true competitive balance, I would like to see the IHSAA mandate a 10th regular season game for 5A and 6A schools.  These schools should not be getting a bye week with their deep rosters while smaller schools with very thin rosters are getting no time off to rest, heal and prepare.

Why the duplicity?

Simple rules for week 10.

No games against conference teams and no games against sectional teams.  Good chance for some interesting cross sectional games and some travel for kids and families before the season ends.  

Schedules will be made in advance around week 7 to make things interesting and competitive.  Schools are encouraged to travel.  DAC schools should reach out to MIC schools and HCC schools to schedule competitive matchups to keep kids and staffs sharp as they head into the playoffs.

Merrillville vs Bloomington South

Center Grove vs Valparaiso

Fishers vs Floyd Central

Who wouldn't want to see these matchups?

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by DT

[Guest]

6 hours ago, DT said:

Just to even things out and continue on the course of true competitive balance, I would like to see the IHSAA mandate a 10th regular season game for 5A and 6A schools.  These schools should not be getting a bye week with their deep rosters while smaller schools with very thin rosters are getting no time off to rest, heal and prepare.

Why the duplicity?

Simple rules for week 10.

No games against conference teams and no games against sectional teams.  Good chance for some interesting cross sectional games and some travel for kids and families before the season ends.  

Schedules will be made in advance around week 7 to make things interesting and competitive.  Schools are encouraged to travel.  DAC schools should reach out to MIC schools and HCC schools to schedule competitive matchups to keep kids and staffs sharp as they head into the playoffs.

Merrillville vs Bloomington South

Center Grove vs Valparaiso

Fishers vs Floyd Central

Who wouldn't want to see these matchups?

 

They’d be interesting matchups for sure but I’m not sure there’s interest by the schools.  You mentioned it should be an IHSAA issue but if the schools don’t want it, who cares?

Center Grove/Warren moved their matchup years back to prevent themselves from being too “banged up” (an argument for a separate thread) at the end of the season and I believe you yourself stated that the CG/Cathedral matchup would be a snoozer as neither team would really take the matchup seriously as the risk outweighed any potential reward for either outfit.

[Mebuck]

Get ride of the "everyone" makes the tournament and you eliminate the bye week.

[Muda69]

The large schools, much like the majority of the p/p's, enjoy having their cake and eating it too.

 

[Trojan88]

11 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

The large schools, much like the majority of the p/p's, enjoy having their cake and eating it too.

 

Hilarious - you are like a broken record...

[Muda69]

3 minutes ago, Trojan88 said:

Hilarious - you are like a broken record...

Sorry that the truth hurts so much.

 

[Footballking16]

8 hours ago, DT said:

Just to even things out and continue on the course of true competitive balance, I would like to see the IHSAA mandate a 10th regular season game for 5A and 6A schools.  These schools should not be getting a bye week with their deep rosters while smaller schools with very thin rosters are getting no time off to rest, heal and prepare.

Why the duplicity?

Simple rules for week 10.

No games against conference teams and no games against sectional teams.  Good chance for some interesting cross sectional games and some travel for kids and families before the season ends.  

Schedules will be made in advance around week 7 to make things interesting and competitive.  Schools are encouraged to travel.  DAC schools should reach out to MIC schools and HCC schools to schedule competitive matchups to keep kids and staffs sharp as they head into the playoffs.

Merrillville vs Bloomington South

Center Grove vs Valparaiso

Fishers vs Floyd Central

Who wouldn't want to see these matchups?

 

Hold up....People complain about a qualifier/seeding because there may be lengthy travel during sectionals but we advocate this?

[Guest DT]

I think it's a waste of time and space to push for a qualifier.  The coaches and admins and ihsaa are all strongly against.  The fans do not support

It's a waste of energy

I prefer to put my focus and effort behind practical solutions that address equity and competitive balance for all schools, and solutions that might possibly gain traction with select support groups

 

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by DT

[Footballking16]

4 minutes ago, DT said:

I think it's a waste of time and space to push for a qualifier.  The coaches and admins and ihsaa are all strongly against.  The fans do not support

It's a waste of energy

I prefer to put my focus and effort behind practical solutions that address equity and competitive balance for all schools, and solutions that might possibly gain traction with select support groups

 

 

And advocating a meaningless game that involves a 400 mile roundtrip the week before playoffs is somehow practical?

Got it.

[HoosierFB_JG]

This is great for the fans but a large majority of the 6A programs that I’ve spoken with prefer the week off to get healthy for the tournament.

 

 The lengthy car rides up north or down to Indy for a meaningless regular season game also, while the hardcore fan loves these games, there is no interest from students who have never heard of the opposing school will bring tens of fans to this type of game.  Obviously it’s a bit different if a school has their senior night week 10, that brings up the crowd significantly.  Most schools though are eliminating costs and not adding them so I can’t see a transportation department wanting to drive the 2+ hours to a regular season game for a 5th time in a single season prior to the tournament.  
 

I want to get behind this because I want to see a 10th game for these groups who only get to play 14 if you make it to the title game, but I don’t see the value for the schools unless you’re playing locally.  Even then, you’ll be hard pressed to find a coach who hasn’t enjoyed resting their team the week before the playoffs begin.

Edited October 29, 2019 by HoosierFB_JG

[DanteEstonia]

No special privileges for larger schools.

[Trojan88]

57 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Sorry that the truth hurts so much.

 

Doesn't hurt at all. Your opinion on the matter is constant, consistent, never ending, and....hilarious!

 

[Gipper]

53 minutes ago, Footballking16 said:

Hold up....People complain about a qualifier/seeding because there may be lengthy travel during sectionals but we advocate this?

Perplexing.

[Footballking16]

18 minutes ago, DanteEstonia said:

No special privileges for larger schools.

How is it special privileges? There's half the amount of teams in 5A and 6A than there are the rest the classes. There's going to be an empty week somewhere in there given the postseason format.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Footballking16

[Muda69]

14 minutes ago, Trojan88 said:

Doesn't hurt at all. Your opinion on the matter is constant, consistent, never ending, and....hilarious!

 

At least I have an opinion and prefer not to prop up the status quo...............

 

[Irishman]

I think the 10th game for half the teams playing will do exactly what you described as the reason to eliminate the bye; it can kill any momentum gained going into the playoffs. I think you might get more traction with something either you or someone else posted in the other topic; a bye week in the regular season. A number of schools now have a full week of Fall break now, so it might be good to have the bye weeks scheduled the same week. 

[Trojan88]

40 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

At least I have an opinion and prefer not to prop up the status quo...............

 

I am guessing your opinion is based on some old school, small town, political,  bs - doesn't matter. Status quo should always be challenged, but your stance is firmly based on quick sand regarding this...and we have heard you over and over and over again.

 

On to the games - let's gooooo!

[DanteEstonia]

1 hour ago, Footballking16 said:

How is it special privileges?

An extra game is a special privilege. More playing and practice time.

[Footballking16]

12 minutes ago, DanteEstonia said:

An extra game is a special privilege. More playing and practice time.

? 

They're playing the same amount of games under DT's proposal?

Week 10 for schools in Class 1A-4A is the first round of sectionals. Current week 10 for schools in 5A-6A is a bye. 

If you forced schools 5A-6A to play a 10th regular season game, they would be playing the same amount of games in the same given time frame. Your argument makes ZERO sense.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Footballking16

[Muda69]

39 minutes ago, Trojan88 said:

I am guessing your opinion is based on some old school, small town, political,  bs - doesn't matter. Status quo should always be challenged, but your stance is firmly based on quick sand regarding this...and we have heard you over and over and over again.

Actually it's not,  but you go on thinking that it is.  Wouldn't want to challenge your superior, big city, opinions/truths.

 

[Rudy]

I LOVE the idea of 6A teams playing a 10th regular season game IF they want.

However, from a logistical standpoint, who would referee those games?

Most officials will be working the first round of the tournament that week. Either you'd have to do up to 16 Class 6A games on Thursday or Saturday (letting you use tournament officials) or you're using referees who didn't qualify for the postseason.

Maybe there's enough veteran referees who choose not to work postseason to accommodate, but not likely.

Just my $0.02

Dan "Rudy" Engler

[Lemmy]

3 hours ago, Irishman said:

I think the 10th game for half the teams playing will do exactly what you described as the reason to eliminate the bye; it can kill any momentum gained going into the playoffs. I think you might get more traction with something either you or someone else posted in the other topic; a bye week in the regular season. A number of schools now have a full week of Fall break now, so it might be good to have the bye weeks scheduled the same week. 

For selfish reasons I would love to see a bye week imposed on the exact week that most schools are on fall break.  Make it a week of no contact between coaches and players and that would even be better.  Finally, I could go on one of the fabulous fall vacations that I keep hearing about.  Everyone tells me that somehow the fall break vacations are superior to spring break vacations.  I'm guessing this is just a ploy to p*ss me off, but I would like to find out.

[Trojan88]

2 hours ago, Muda69 said:

Actually it's not,  but you go on thinking that it is.  Wouldn't want to challenge your superior, big city, opinions/truths.

 

No doubt - now you are getting it

 

[Muda69]

4 minutes ago, Trojan88 said:

No doubt - now you are getting it

 

[Guest DT]

4 hours ago, HoosierFB_JG said:

This is great for the fans but a large majority of the 6A programs that I’ve spoken with prefer the week off to get healthy for the tournament.

 

 The lengthy car rides up north or down to Indy for a meaningless regular season game also, while the hardcore fan loves these games, there is no interest from students who have never heard of the opposing school will bring tens of fans to this type of game.  Obviously it’s a bit different if a school has their senior night week 10, that brings up the crowd significantly.  Most schools though are eliminating costs and not adding them so I can’t see a transportation department wanting to drive the 2+ hours to a regular season game for a 5th time in a single season prior to the tournament.  
 

I want to get behind this because I want to see a 10th game for these groups who only get to play 14 if you make it to the title game, but I don’t see the value for the schools unless you’re playing locally.  Even then, you’ll be hard pressed to find a coach who hasn’t enjoyed resting their team the week before the playoffs begin.

Why do we have a system where the biggest and wealthiest schools get a free week off to rest up and heal and prepare and go on vacation, and our smaller more urban schools are thrown directly into the post season fire without the same privileges?

MIC schools go 4 deep at every position and have the best equipment and medical support money can buy.  Do they need a week off more than a rural school with barely a 2 deep roster that probably has to take a long road trip for a first round sectional game?