IHSAA High School Wrestling Championships Restructure ***CONCEPT***

[blueandgold]

The postseason structure for the IHSAA wrestling championship has been a hot subject forever. I would assume we recognize it is a fun tournament, but we also recognize it could and should be better especially for the kids who dedicate themselves to this sport. There will always be discussion as to how the tournament could be run, and this is meant to spark conversation and open minds as to how we can get more eyes on the sport and make it better for all involved because we all care about our beloved sport.

 

So, the first idea I'm presenting would take our current model of qualifying for the state championship and totally scrap it in favor of one where the IHSWCA and ISWA are more active alongside the IHSAA.

 

IHSAA Wrestling Championships

• Four 32-man qualifier tournaments (North, South, East, West), place top eight
• Top four finishers of qualifier earn automatic bids to state championships
• Remaining four finishers have chance to earn a wild card berth from designated committee (as selected by members of IHSWCA and ISWA)
• Two wild cards per qualifier location, making six total state qualifiers
• Wild card is a last chance opportunity for those who may have had a great season, but fumbled the qualifier (almost like an at-large bid in NCAA)
• 24-man bracket for state championship; top 16 seeds, all wild cards will be unseeded
• First round byes for top eight seeds
• Full consolations to fifth place, semifinalists automatically place top four

 

This is just idea #1 of the many I have

[TheBigGil]

Interesting concept; however, I don’t like the nuance/subjectivity of wild card selections. I think expanding state qualifiers to 20 with 5th place at each semistate earning a bid would fix a lot of current problems. Fourth and Fifth place winners would face in a pig tail round on Friday night and after that I’d hope to see full wrestle backs up to fifth place with semi finalists  automatically placing top 3.

[Cmoney125]

Here's a crazy idea. Since the individual placements affect the team title. Have full wrestlebacks. That's literally the only change that needs to be made. Bigger brackets are not it. Just get rid of one and done, make it double elimination and do wrestlebacks to 3rd. That's all that needs to happen. There aren't 32 kids at each weight that can compete for a title. That's just the reality.

[Bulldog89]

Not sure if people will want the fate or their wrestler in the hands of a committee that has possibly never seen him/her wrestle.  Let the kids wrestle to get the spot.  Wrestle backs, make a kid prove he deserves to be there and leave the decision making to the wrestlers on the mat.

[casualwrestlingfan]

Wrestle backs for every step of the single class individual tournament. Adopt the IHSWCA classed team dual tournament and convert it to the IHSAA football tournament set up for teams filling 7+ weight classes. Add in a classed individual tournament as well. Use the month of March like other winter sports have.

[Hirsej01]

I am not a fan of that at all. If the IHSAA wont even approve wrestle backs at semi state why would they allow this to happen. I think that wrestle backs are the best way that we find the best wrestler. On Friday or at Semi State. I think it gets rid of the Death draw that we see every year. 

[Cmoney125]

1 hour ago, casualwrestlingfan said:

Wrestle backs for every step of the single class individual tournament. Adopt the IHSWCA classed team dual tournament and convert it to the IHSAA football tournament set up for teams filling 7+ weight classes. Add in a classed individual tournament as well. Use the month of March like other winter sports have.

I mean you have wrestlebacks at sectionals and regionals. I don't know why semi state doesn't, but regardless, losing the first match at state and you're out when there's team titles at stake as well is ridiculous 

[bbulldog152]

6 hours ago, Cmoney125 said:

I mean you have wrestlebacks at sectionals and regionals. I don't know why semi state doesn't, but regardless, losing the first match at state and you're out when there's team titles at stake as well is ridiculous 

Regionals don't have wrestle backs

[rookie78]

Correct, if a #4 at sectional loses in regional in round 1 to a #1 and that kid wins regional, the 4th place sectional place winner would be the alternate at semi state.....makes good sense 

[Danny Bell1]

On 12/14/2021 at 8:33 PM, Cmoney125 said:

Here's a crazy idea. Since the individual placements affect the team title. Have full wrestlebacks. That's literally the only change that needs to be made. Bigger brackets are not it. Just get rid of one and done, make it double elimination and do wrestlebacks to 3rd. That's all that needs to happen. There aren't 32 kids at each weight that can compete for a title. That's just the reality.

NAILED IT!

[chambers]

On 12/14/2021 at 6:34 PM, blueandgold said:

The postseason structure for the IHSAA wrestling championship has been a hot subject forever. I would assume we recognize it is a fun tournament, but we also recognize it could and should be better especially for the kids who dedicate themselves to this sport. There will always be discussion as to how the tournament could be run, and this is meant to spark conversation and open minds as to how we can get more eyes on the sport and make it better for all involved because we all care about our beloved sport.

 

So, the first idea I'm presenting would take our current model of qualifying for the state championship and totally scrap it in favor of one where the IHSWCA and ISWA are more active alongside the IHSAA.

 

IHSAA Wrestling Championships

• Four 32-man qualifier tournaments (North, South, East, West), place top eight
• Top four finishers of qualifier earn automatic bids to state championships
• Remaining four finishers have chance to earn a wild card berth from designated committee (as selected by members of IHSWCA and ISWA)
• Two wild cards per qualifier location, making six total state qualifiers
• Wild card is a last chance opportunity for those who may have had a great season, but fumbled the qualifier (almost like an at-large bid in NCAA)
• 24-man bracket for state championship; top 16 seeds, all wild cards will be unseeded
• First round byes for top eight seeds
• Full consolations to fifth place, semifinalists automatically place top four

 

This is just idea #1 of the many I have

How are you going to determine which 128 teams get into your four 32 man qualifier tournaments? What about the other 191 teams you have left out?

Edited December 16, 2021 by chambers

[bbulldog152]

If there's going to expand state it should be in the same format and just add the amount of qualifiers from semi-state. There shouldn't be any judgement on who makes state, state qualifiers should be determined by wrestling not people guessing who the better wrestlers is. Having to go through different quality of routes to make it to the finals is part of sports. look at professionals sports in the NFL teams that win their divisions get high seeds then wildcard teams with better records... some teams make the offs because their conference isn't as good. 

[JREAGAN1]

I think leave it the way it is. I know everyone will not like it, but bottom line is win. Yes win. It also gives the little guy to make it to State. To me, yes you will get two very wrestlers going at in Semi state, but again Win & your in. Thanks

[Cmoney125]

On 12/16/2021 at 8:35 PM, JREAGAN1 said:

I think leave it the way it is. I know everyone will not like it, but bottom line is win. Yes win. It also gives the little guy to make it to State. To me, yes you will get two very wrestlers going at in Semi state, but again Win & your in. Thanks

I would agree with you if there was still a team duals state champion. But if the only team title being given out is at the individual tournament, the only way to accurate determine the better tournament team is with wrestlebacks to third and dual elimination. There are team points being left on the table solely due to to draw, not due to who is actually good enough to finish in the place they do. It matters. Everything Leading up to state is fine, to me, the cream rises to the top through semi state. Very rarely does a placement worthy kid not make it to state.

[KoontzDaddy]

Every year this gets talked about. People come up with all kinds of goofy answers but it really is as simple as wrestle backs. 
 

We can talk about the small school guys and class wrestling separately, but wrestle backs fix the first big problem with our tournament.

[Jcjcjc]

On 12/17/2021 at 8:09 PM, Cmoney125 said:

I would agree with you if there was still a team duals state champion. But if the only team title being given out is at the individual tournament, the only way to accurate determine the better tournament team is with wrestlebacks to third and dual elimination. There are team points being left on the table solely due to to draw, not due to who is actually good enough to finish in the place they do. It matters. Everything Leading up to state is fine, to me, the cream rises to the top through semi state. Very rarely does a placement worthy kid not make it to state.

I would say a placement level kid doesn’t make it to state multiple times a year.

[PhillyFanMD]

Too much time and resources for the IHSAA to spend on wrestling.  Now out here in PA where wrestling is just as big as football and basketball the PIAA has the funding to hold wrestlebacks

[Cmoney125]

44 minutes ago, PhillyFanMD said:

Too much time and resources for the IHSAA to spend on wrestling.  Now out here in PA where wrestling is just as big as football and basketball the PIAA has the funding to hold wrestlebacks

We have the funding. It seems to be the desire to just keep all the qualifying rounds to 1 day tournaments more than anything else.

[Cmoney125]

On 12/19/2021 at 9:01 PM, KoontzDaddy said:

Every year this gets talked about. People come up with all kinds of goofy answers but it really is as simple as wrestle backs. 
 

We can talk about the small school guys and class wrestling separately, but wrestle backs fix the first big problem with our tournament.

100%. Literally the most simple and most correct answer.

[MUSKEEWRESTLER]

On 12/16/2021 at 8:35 PM, JREAGAN1 said:

I think leave it the way it is. I know everyone will not like it, but bottom line is win. Yes win. It also gives the little guy to make it to State. To me, yes you will get two very wrestlers going at in Semi state, but again Win & your in. Thanks

Most of the other sports are one and done.  Some great wrestlers have lost in early rounds and gone on to use that as a learning experience in both wrestling and life.

[Cmoney125]

4 hours ago, MUSKEEWRESTLING said:

Most of the other sports are one and done.  Some great wrestlers have lost in early rounds and gone on to use that as a learning experience in both wrestling and life.

Once again, if they didn't determine the TEAM title off of placement points, it would be different. Wrestlebacks should and do win team titles. (Look at NCAAs) our tourney shouldn't be any different.