IHSAA Mulling Basketball Realignment
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana High School Athletic Association is considering a plan to realign its four classes of boys and girls basketball. The proposal calls for the 64 schools in the state with the highest enrollment to be placed in Class 4A. All others would be evenly divided among classes 3A, 2A and 1A. The plan aims to address concerns about size disparities and competitive balance. August 7, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The final proposal to alter the state basketball tournaments was presented to the IHSAA Executive Committee today for its consideration. The proposal was a result of two years of comprehensive study by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) in cooperation with the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA) and the IHSAA.
The Executive Committee will vote on it at its next scheduled meeting on Thursday, October 2, 2014. Following the next realignment which begins with the 2015?]16 school year, the largest 64 schools by enrollment would make up Class 4A. Sixteen sectionals would be played containing four teams each and all games would be played on a Saturday.
The remaining schools in Classes 3A, 2A and 1A (approximately 114 in each) would then be evenly distributed among 16 sectionals in each classification and contain either seven or eight schools. Those games would be played as they are now in a Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday format.
Currently, teams are equally distributed across all four classes with an average of 101 schools
in each. The football state tournament was conducted last year using a similar model with the top 32 teams making up Class 6A with the next 34 making up 5A.
The proposal attempts to address concerns school administrators and basketball coaches have voiced including:
1.) the discrepancy in the size of schools from the largest to smallest within Class 4A and
2.) competitive balance in that similar numbers of schools would be placed in each sectional.
An additional part of the proposal calls for the IHSAA staff to determine host sites at each level of the state tournament with the same site hosting both years of the alignment window. In recent years, school administrators within each sectional have determined the host site with some rotation between schools.
***Two Schools Approved for IHSAA Membership
Two schools were approved for initial probationary membership by the IHSAA Executive Committee during today?fs first meeting of the 2014-15 school year. Applications were approved from Gambold Preparatory Magnet High School in Indianapolis and Traders Point Christian Academy in Whitestown. Gambold enrolls 110 students currently in its freshmen and sophomore classes while Traders Point enrolls 78 students in four grades. Students at each school will be able to compete in regular season events immediately but, by IHSAA rule, won't be eligible to participate in state tournament series competition for four years (2018-19).
Each school will enter a four-year probationary membership period during which it will be required to meet a number of criteria in order to gain full membership. Among the criteria are adhering to all IHSAA rules and regulations, maintaining at least one team and program for each gender in each season (fall, winter and spring), attending the IHSAA New School Orientation and attending all seasonal meetings and educational opportunities for the principal and athletic director. In addition, each school will be monitored for compliance by an IHSAA assistant commissioner who has been assigned to mentor the school?fs administrators during the first two years of probationary membership.
At the end of the four-year period (June 2018), the IHSAA Executive Committee will review the school?fs overall compliance and vote to determine whether the school will gain full membership. The two new additions combined with the membership losses of Gary Wallace, Howe School, Muncie Southside, Union (Dugger) brings the IHSAA membership total to 410 schools for 2014?]15.
IHSAA Membership Totals, Last 10 Years:
2014?]15
410
2013?]14
412
2012?]13
410
2011?]12
408
2010?]11
410
2009?]10
411
2008?]09
411
2007?]08
407
2006?]07
406
2005?]06
400
About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)
Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 412 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.
Source: The Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.