Updated: IHSA to look at sweeping changes to football system
A total of 16 amendment proposals to current Illinois High School Association bylaws were received prior to the October 14 deadline from official representatives of IHSA member schools, the association announced Tuesday.
While this is the first phase of any changes actually taking place, if accepted, some of the changes could lead to a much different landscape in Illinois high school football.
<URL destination="http://www.ihsa.org/documents/bylaws/2014-15BylawProposals.pdf">A full text of all the proposals can be found by clicking on this link..
</URL>The football proposal, submitted by Sycamore principal Tim Carlson, has an eight-part plan that would overhaul the current system in Illinois and do away with football conferences, instead establishing geographical regions that would be set by the IHSA. The committee cited that in the last five years, 20 conferences have changed alignment due to departures or additions.
The proposal would also eliminate teams playing outside Illinois, as the IHSA would be establishing schedules for the entire state.
Among the proposals in other sports:
Several states play a region, or district system, including Texas and Florida.
•A proposal for two-class boys and girls tennis.
•A proposal to allow baseball and softball teams to schedule 25 dates instead of the current 35 games, allowing for multiple games on a Saturday to only count as a date, and allowing for more nonconference games if conference doubleheaders are played on a Saturday.
A summary of the proposals, as provided by the IHSA. The school name in parenthesis is the school that brought the propsal forward:
Proposal 1: (St. Bede) Allows IHSA Board to review non-approved foreign exchange programs and grant eligibility
Proposal 2: (Chi. Mt. Carmel) Allow one private school to private school transfer
Proposal 3: (Chi. Mt. Carmel & St. Rita) Allow an open house to be conducted at an off campus site
Proposal 4: (Naperville North on behalf of DVC and Upstate 8) Allow a student-athlete to attend two "College ID Camps" during season
Proposal 5: (Gurnee Warren & Neuqua Valley) Eliminates "dead week" scheduled to generally fall over 4th of July week. ***Note this dead week was passed last year to begin in 2015, so it has not actually occurred yet.***
Proposal 6: (Willowbrook on behalf of West Suburban Conference) Eliminates multiplier
Proposal 7: (Willowbrook on behalf of West Suburban Conference) Creates separate postseason classifications for boundaried and non-boundaried schools.
Proposal 8: (Chicago Christian) Creates second class for Boys & Girls Tennis
Proposal 9: (Sycamore) Creates Regions for football that determine regular-season scheduling and postseason qualification
Proposal 10: (Lincoln) Allows for one preseason scrimmage in all sports
Proposal 11: (Palatine) Changes first two of practice in baseball/softball to allow for pitchers & catchers only
Proposal 12: (Palatine) Changes baseball/softball from 35 allowable games to 25 allowable dates
Proposal 13: (Plainfield East) Extends track & field season to allow a "pilot" program for an unofficial team state meet after the IHSA State Series
Proposal 14: (Gurnee Warren) Allows girls tennis season to start one week earlier
Proposal 15 & 16: (IMSA) Allows Scholastic Bowl contests to take place year-round.
The IHSA Legislative Commission will review the proposals at its first meeting on Monday, November 3. Then the proposals will be discussed at town meetings held at various sites throughout the state between November 6 and 19. The Commission will reassemble on Monday, November 24, to decide whether to submit each of the 16 proposals to a vote of the general membership. The final vote by IHSA member schools will take place between December 1 and December 30.
The complete IHSA legislative process:
IHSA Legislative Process:
1) Proposals will be reviewed by Legislative Commission on November 3. Commission provides feedback, helps get answers to any questions that may exist on proposal prior to Town Meetings (a submitting school can amend a proposal before town meetings based upon commission feedback).
2) Town Hall Meetings conducted at 28 high schools from November 6-19 by Legislative Commissioners.
3) Straw poll taken by Legislative Commissioner on each proposal at each Town Hall Meeting.
4) Second Legislative Commissioner meeting on November 24. Each Legislative Commissioner votes on each proposal based on straw poll from their Town Hall Meeting. Proposals with simple majority support move to all-school ballot.
5) All-School ballot released to schools on December 1, voting closes on January 6. One vote per school. Proposals with simple majority support become active on July 1, 2015 (unless a different date is noted within the proposal).