Postseason assignments, formats take on new uniqueness

We may only be at the start of the fall sports season but it's never too early to talk about the IHSA state tournament series in any sport.

Navigating the state tournament series' in fall sports this year will be the first time in some 30-plus years that we've had to look at a different system. With the advent of three and four classes in some sports, it actually makes football the easy one to figure out for once.

Later this fall, there will be no changes in some sports and drastic changes in others as we roll into the fall postseason. While there are no changes to the class system in boys soccer, girls golf, girls tennis and girls swimming -- boys soccer and girls golf are in the two-class system while tennis and swimming remain just one class -- there are changes that will affect cross country, boys golf and girls volleyball. In boys golf and cross country all it really means is that some smaller school runners will have a better chance of running in the state finals or playing at the state golf tournament.

But the most significant change in the fall state series will be in girls volleyball, which is the only fall sport moving to a four-class system. That, coupled with the IHSA's change in the postseason format that was revealed late last month, make this the one sport that will surely have the most confusion.

First, the class system. With four classes, it's pretty much anybody's guess where your favorite school might land in the postseason. In our area, we'll have Westminster Christian in Class 1A, Hampshire and St. Edward in 2A, Burlington Central and Huntley in 3A and the remainder of our area schools in 4A.

As a side note here, St. Edward is the state's largest Class 2A school. With a reported enrollment of 439, multiplied by the IHSA's 1.65 factor because it's a private school, St. Edward comes in at 724.35, which is the cutoff between 2A and 3A in the four-class system.

That will certainly make things interesting and give both Hampshire and St. Edward a legitimate shot at a state berth. They'll have to get past each other though, as they were each assigned to the same sub-sectional of the Byron sectional complex.

One would also think BC would have a shot at state with its fine team this season, and the fact the Rockets were sent west by the IHSA is certainly a plus, although the Rockets will certainly be tested by Huntley and/or Sycamore at the regional level.

Let's also remember that Crystal Lake Central and Wheaton St. Francis -- two of the state's best teams in either class -- are both in Class 3A but by being sent west, Burlington will avoid seeing either of those teams prior to a possible meeting at Redbird Arena. Harvard is also a 3A school and that volleyball program has been one of the best around the last few years. So while BC may avoid the "big" schools, Class 3A may be the best in the state in this particular sport.

IHSA assistant executive secretary Scott Johnson said earlier this week that postseason sites and assignments are coming soon and some were released late Wednesday. The rest could be on the IHSA Web site by the time you read this, and then we'll be able to get a better handle on where teams will be participating in all sports. Johnson said the IHSA is on target with the new system.

"We're ready," Johnson said. "We've been playing with this new system for a long time and we've been going through simulated mappings to see what the problems are."

Johnson said one "problem" is that in Class 4A, there will only be one sectional complex south of Interstate 80. "But we told everybody that at the town meetings to discuss class expansion," he reminded us.

That, in part Johnson said, is why the IHSA changed the postseason volleyball format to one that has drawn mixed reaction so far. Instead of playing regional and sectional semifinals one night, followed by a separate night for the championship matches, the regional and sectional semis and finals will all be played on one night, back-to-back-to-back.

And, with four classes, Johnson said there will definitely be some four-team regionals, meaning the entire regional tournament will be played on one night. Those dates have already been established ---Thursday, Oct. 25 in Class 1A and 2A and Saturday, Oct. 27 for Class 3A and 4A regionals and Thursday, Nov. 1 for all sectionals. If there are regional prelims in a sectional complex they'll be played Oct. 23 in 1A and 2A and Oct. 24 in 3A and 4A.

"It's definitely different," said Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse, whose school will host a Class 2A supersectional. "I don't mind the four classes but the setup for the tournament is so different because you play all your games in one night. That makes me nervous."

It will also change the way coaches have to scout certain opponents and there are myriad of other concerns. But one thing it will do is ease the transportation cost for schools, especially in the larger classes where you could very well see a sectional match between, say, a Kankakee-area school and a southern Illinois school being played in, say, Springfield.

The state finals change as well, as there will only be four teams in each class at Redbird instead of the eight we've become accustomed to. The "Elite Eight" will actually be the supersectional round, which is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 5.

The jury is still definitely out and mired in deliberations as to how well this new system will work. And girls volleyball is the one sport that will see the most significant change. As we go to winter and spring, don't expect regional and sectional semifinal and final basketball, baseball or softball games to all be played in one day.

So, like it or not, change is here. Johnson said the IHSA has a good handle on how things will go come postseason time. Now all we can do is wait, play it out, and then decide if it's a good thing or not.