Districts For Football Voted Down

https://www.ihsa.org/NewsMedia/Announcements/tabid/93/ID/1748/Football-Districts-Rescinded-as-Member-Schools-Approve-10-Proposals.aspx

I do not believe that the IHSA ever wanted districts to pass and were surprised when it passed so they created districts that upset a lot of schools so that it would get voted down.  But I am not so sure the IHSA is that smart.

Either way, the districts were not the answer and we are back to the status quo.

dusty7 wrote:I do not believe that the IHSA ever wanted districts to pass and were surprised when it passed so they created districts that upset a lot of schools so that it would get voted down.  But I am not so sure the IHSA is that smart.

Either way, the districts were not the answer and we are back to the status quo.  

I agree. Why would the IHSA want districts? They have to handle all the scheduling in addition to playoffs. Plus they would get all kinds of complaints about lower level games and stuff like that in a few years. Too much.

Lets face it, football and football coaches are a pain to the IHSA. Football created all the conference movement to start with and now all the new proposals.

Here we are, back to square one. Here we are in a state whose population has shrunk every year since 2014, in a state athletic association with fewer and fewer schools playing football, and in state that saw 25% fewer kids playing football in 2018 than 2007 (as opposed to a national drop of about 10% in the same time frame). Yet here we are in a state athletic association that still has an 8 class playoff system that was adopted in 2001, back when the participation numbers were very different than they are now.

Something has to give. There's no reason to believe that the downward trend in football participation is going to reverse any time soon. Despite the reversal on districts, there are still a lot of schools out there that don't like the status quo. There are more and more schools dropping football or going to 8 man football.

Why are we dicking around with votes and re-votes on districts only to maintain a status quo that obviously isn't working well?

Where is the leadership? Where is the vision?

Are you insinuating that district football would increase the number of overall football participants in Illinois high schools? Because if you are, I would strongly disagree with you. There are absolutely issues, no question about it. There was before the state expanded to 8 classes as well. But in looking at any of the mock districts, which would not be that different a year from now than they are today, I think it's unrealistic to think more kids are all of a sudden going to start playing football just because of districts.

Over 1/2 of the schools who play football in this state would see an increase in travel time and distance if districts were to have been passed. That to me would only hurt the idea of more kids playing...eliminating those regional games and close geographic rivalries.

lefty120 wrote:Are you insinuating that district football would increase the number of overall football participants in Illinois high schools?

Not at all.

lefty120 wrote:Over 1/2 of the schools who play football in this state would see an increase in travel time and distance if districts were to have been passed.  That to me would only hurt the idea of more kids playing...eliminating those regional games and close geographic rivalries.  

I'm not suggesting anything other than I want to see some vision and leadership on the part of the iHSA to do something. Business as usual ain't working either.

ramblinman wrote:

lefty120 wrote:Are you insinuating that district football would increase the number of overall football participants in Illinois high schools?

Not at all.

lefty120 wrote:Over 1/2 of the schools who play football in this state would see an increase in travel time and distance if districts were to have been passed.  That to me would only hurt the idea of more kids playing...eliminating those regional games and close geographic rivalries.  

I'm not suggesting anything other than I want to see some vision and leadership on the part of the iHSA to do something.  Business as usual ain't working either.

The IHSA hides behind "serving the will of the schools", but you are absolutely correct - the IHSA is absolutely destitute of leadership.

If they are there to serve merely as a broker and enforcer - why eliminate any proposals from a general vote? Let's strip this veneer down to the core of what really is going on here: The easiest path for the IHSA will always be the solution.

I agree with all of that. I really believe there is a solution to the FB issues, the problem is, there's to much red tape set up by the IHSA to get to the bottom of it.