Should we be looking at expansion or contraction in the IHSA football playoffs?

The first round of the IHSA football playoffs always produces a cringe factor. A moment where we peek at the scoreboards through our fingers, only to quickly cover our eyes again when we see the margins of victories.

Blowouts abound in the first round, just as they do in most team sports. The cringeworthy nature of football, though, stems from the physicality of the sport and the greater fear of injuries during mismatches.

In the wake of the first round, the IHSA announced this week its annual batch of legislative proposals. Later this month, the legislative commission decides how many of the 23 proposals advance to a December vote by the IHSA member schools, and the result of the vote determines which proposals become IHSA bylaws.

Two of this year’s proposals suggest the same thing — playoff expansion in football from 32 to 48 schools in each of the eight classes, a statewide increase of 128 qualifiers. While it traditionally requires five wins to qualify for the IHSA football playoffs, this level of expansion likely would require only three wins.

Do we want to check those scoreboards again before voting?

At least seven of the 16 first-round games in every class last weekend had a margin of at least four touchdowns. Seventy of the 128 games in total.

For the record, I’m not against playoff expansion. And I’m certainly not in favor of contraction. The more the merrier, as far as I’m concerned.

But how concerned should we be about these blowouts? Is there a point where schools say “no thanks” to a postseason opportunity out of fear of being at the wrong end of the blowout?

I realize I’m posing questions without a right or wrong answer. There’s no definitive number of qualifiers that avoids the sting of blowouts. It’s pointless to even try to find that dividing line.

Keep in mind last year’s second round, when 30 of the 64 statewide playoff games were also decided by at least four touchdowns. Contraction won’t solve the problem.

The issue, at least for voting member schools, is whether you believe expansion exacerbates the problem. Or, on the other hand, at what point do you decide to just let everyone in the football playoffs like with most IHSA team sports?

I doubt we’ll ever reach that point with football, despite the multiple times the IHSA playoffs have expanded through their 51 years of existence.

If I had to guess, I’d say one of the two expansion proposals will advance to the member school vote and gets approved. Football is king in the IHSA landscape, and the appeal of extra playoff excitement is too tempting.

If it does happen, though, you might want to avert your eyes from those scoreboards.

Conference call

For the curious out there (like me), here’s how the first round of the football playoffs fared for some of the prominent conferences in our coverage area.

DuKane 4-0

Fox Valley 4-1

Mid-Suburban 5-2

West Suburban 4-4

North Suburban 2-2

Central Suburban 2-3

Northern Lake 1-3

Upstate Eight 1-6