I foresee a number of steps which will need to be followed as the IHSA moves into the murky waters of creating districts. But if they go step by step, some issues may resolve themselves. I see the following steps:
1. Create the 8 Classes.
Seems simple enough. 523 divided by 8 = five classes of 65, three of 66. Obviously subject to schools adding football, dropping football, going 8 man, forming co-ops, dissolving co-ops, new schools opening, some schools closing, etc. Build in your success factors, multipliers, and other complicating factors up front.
2. Give schools the opportunity to opt up.
Opting down is not an option. But I might see schools which think they are better off opting up and remaining in a local district with traditional rivals rather than a district with more travel and unfamiliar opponents.
3. Allow schools to change co-ops, add co-ops, terminate co-ops.
I could see co-ops changing in schools along the class borders to keep programs in 1A or 2A instead of moving up...and trying to keep traditional rivals in the same district. Maybe loosen up the rules to allow small districts to co-op with 5A or 6A schools to keep kids from losing the opportunity to play when 1A hosts decide they don't want to be pushed away from traditional rivals.
4. Reset the classes.
5. Allow school groups to recommend districts.
This could create kind of a hybrid, picking your district within the class. May not be very effective, since it probably would make more sense to start on the north and south edges of the state and grouping by geography across the state as Soucie basically did. But geographically it may make more sense to clump schools in circles rather than in a straight line. But maybe the Kankakee area 4A schools want to be split apart and be in districts with Peoria area schools two+ hours away?
6. IHSA sets districts.
IHSA has to get last say, or else there will be a district of misfits no one else wants...
7. Teams pick their non-district games...
Obviously this can be done earlier if schools want to play rivals in other classes.
Thoughts?
1. Create the 8 Classes.
Seems simple enough. 523 divided by 8 = five classes of 65, three of 66. Obviously subject to schools adding football, dropping football, going 8 man, forming co-ops, dissolving co-ops, new schools opening, some schools closing, etc. Build in your success factors, multipliers, and other complicating factors up front.
2. Give schools the opportunity to opt up.
Opting down is not an option. But I might see schools which think they are better off opting up and remaining in a local district with traditional rivals rather than a district with more travel and unfamiliar opponents.
3. Allow schools to change co-ops, add co-ops, terminate co-ops.
I could see co-ops changing in schools along the class borders to keep programs in 1A or 2A instead of moving up...and trying to keep traditional rivals in the same district. Maybe loosen up the rules to allow small districts to co-op with 5A or 6A schools to keep kids from losing the opportunity to play when 1A hosts decide they don't want to be pushed away from traditional rivals.
4. Reset the classes.
5. Allow school groups to recommend districts.
This could create kind of a hybrid, picking your district within the class. May not be very effective, since it probably would make more sense to start on the north and south edges of the state and grouping by geography across the state as Soucie basically did. But geographically it may make more sense to clump schools in circles rather than in a straight line. But maybe the Kankakee area 4A schools want to be split apart and be in districts with Peoria area schools two+ hours away?
6. IHSA sets districts.
IHSA has to get last say, or else there will be a district of misfits no one else wants...
7. Teams pick their non-district games...
Obviously this can be done earlier if schools want to play rivals in other classes.
Thoughts?