IHSAA approves a 6th class in football

[infowrestling]

http://www.ihsaa.org/Media/MediaReleases/201112/62212/tabid/1267/Default.aspx

Thoughts?

It seems like a lot of classes to me.........especially for a state the size of Indiana. 

[edb41]

Complete joke.

I like the two year points bump system even less, make kids that weren't even on the varisty at the time of the success move up, really?

[Y2CJ41]

The tradition factor needs to be over four years, not just two.  Two years doesn't show tradition, it shows a couple strong classes of athletes back to back.

[MattM]

True, I'd say four to six years will show a lot more "tradition" of success. Seems like they just want to ensure that thete is a rotation of what schools win regionals on up to make more schools happy. 

Maybe I missed it in the article, but will the lowest teams then move down to even out each class or will it just cause a few classes to fluctuate in size every two years. 

[Y2CJ41]

The lowest team in each class would move down if one from a lower class would move up.

For example if Lafayette Central Catholic(1A) had enough points they would move up to 2A while Churubusco(theoretically the smallest 2A) would move down to 1A.

[1oldwrestler]

Pretty sure this will affect the "University of Luers" and their obvious tradition.  They should definitely be bumped up to 3A.  I guess as a football coach I would want to earn a state title that actually means something rather than beat up lesser opponents once the playoffs begin.  During some seasons Luers takes their lumps playing in the SAC and once the playoffs begin it's "coast time" and they cruise to a 2A state title. As far as 6 classes for a state the size of Indiana, it doesn't seem out of line to me.  Illinois has had 8 classes now for a few years so to have 2 fewer classes than a state the size of Illinois doesn't seem out of line.  It will definitely help schools the size of, say, Carroll as they will, I'm assuming, stay in 5A while the Ben Davis', Carmels, Warren Centrals, HSE, etc., will be bumped up to 6A.  Schools with enrollmennts of 3000 to 4000 kids have a definite advantage over schools with enrollments of 2000. 

[Y2CJ41]

Pretty sure this will affect the "University of Luers" and their obvious tradition.  They should definitely be bumped up to 3A.  I guess as a football coach I would want to earn a state title that actually means something rather than beat up lesser opponents once the playoffs begin.  During some seasons Luers takes their lumps playing in the SAC and once the playoffs begin it's "coast time" and they cruise to a 2A state title. As far as 6 classes for a state the size of Indiana, it doesn't seem out of line to me.  Illinois has had 8 classes now for a few years so to have 2 fewer classes than a state the size of Illinois doesn't seem out of line.  It will definitely help schools the size of, say, Carroll as they will, I'm assuming, stay in 5A while the Ben Davis', Carmels, Warren Centrals, HSE, etc., will be bumped up to 6A.  Schools with enrollmennts of 3000 to 4000 kids have a definite advantage over schools with enrollments of 2000. 

I think we should just have one class for football, those 1A-4A titles are watered down, fake, unimportant titles.

[1oldwrestler]

I think we should just have one class for football, those 1A-4A titles are watered down, fake, unimportant titles.

Well, as we know, they were supposedly giving serious consideration to making basketball a single class sport.  I'm sure the Milan Miracle would occur about once every 1,000 yrs if single class b-ball were actually instituted, making it truly a miracle.  LOL.

[maligned]

Wow.  Enormous advantage being in the new 5A compared to 4A.  Only 32 schools with enrollment between about 1500 and 2000 compared to 64 schools with enrollment between 1200 and 1500.  Not sure how well thought out that was.  I could understand having a smaller 6A class for the very large schools, but the other 5 classes should be distributed more evenly in my opinion.

I also agree that the 2-year success rule seems strange.  Our football team stank when I was a junior and senior.  A loaded class of D1 talent became juniors the year after I left and we were awesome for 2 years.  Then we became bad again when those kids graduated.  One loaded class is enough to force us to move up a class and get pounded for two years after the good kids leave?

[legrider33]

Best thing that ever happened for Indiana High School football. Last year was my 14th year going.

No one can compete with the top 32 schools. Same teams year after year

[1oldwrestler]

I also agree that the 2-year success rule seems strange.  Our football team stank when I was a junior and senior.  A loaded class of D1 talent became juniors the year after I left and we were awesome for 2 years.  Then we became bad again when those kids graduated.  One loaded class is enough to force us to move up a class and get pounded for two years after the good kids leave?

I would bet this is the exception rather than the rule.  Luers is more the rule I would say.