Team State Qualification FAQs: Topic #2, Team Classification

[maligned]

Topic #2: Team Classification

 

Q: What data are used to determine teams' classification?

 

--The most recent official enrollment data from the IHSAA are used to classify teams into 1A, 2A, and 3A. FOR THE UPCOMING QUALIFICATION FOR THE 2020-21 EVENT, WE WILL USE THE DATA THAT THE IHSAA RELEASED LAST JANUARY THAT GOVERNS ALL 2020-21 SPORTS. 

 

Q: How many teams are assigned to each class?

 

--All teams with 2000+ students are assigned to 4A. Then 25% of the remaining schools are assigned to 3A. Finally, after 4A and 3A schools have been removed, the rest of the schools are divided equally among 2A and 1A. 

 

Q: Are all Indiana high school wrestling programs eligible?

 

--Yes. However, a program must have 7 wrestlers compete at sectional for their team to be counted in classification. 

 

Q: When is final classification announced each year?

 

--Usually, finalized classification assignments are announced following sectional Saturday when the eligible teams can be fully confirmed. In some years, the IHSAA releases its new data just after our tournament begins and so we wait to announce final classification based on those numbers. This year, we should be able to release finalized classification early in the week after sectionals.

 

Q: Why the change to only classify teams with at least 7 participants when the IHSAA counts sectional scores of teams with only 3? 

--The selection committee wanted the teams eligible to be those that could be considered a genuine dual meet team--not just a tournament team. This total of 7 is in line with what our neighbor Ohio does for their similar Team State format.

Edited February 1, 2020 by maligned

[maligned]

One more clarification from another thread regarding this year's classification situation:

 

Yes, we classify every year, but two things have to happen for the teams to be officially classified:

1) The list of teams to be classified is finalized after we see who really wrestles at least 3 kids at sectional

2) The new IHSAA classification data comes out in late-February or early-March.

 

Unfortunately, in odd-numbered years, we're always in this situation of waiting for the new data just after the state finals so we can appropriately classify teams for next year's event according to the same data as all of the other sports.

 

We will post week-by-week qualification leaderboards by class during the IHSAA state series, but those lists will be unofficial because they will be based on old data (we'll do our best to post scenarios that could be in play involving schools near the class cut lines as well so final results won't be too big of a shock when the new data is released).