BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – A proposal to the Illinois High School Association would see more teams get a chance at a state title in football.
The plan would add 128 more schools to the playoffs, and expand the fields in each of the state’s eight classes to 48 from the current 32.
Classes 1A-6A would have North and South brackets, where the top eight teams in each bracket would receive a first round bye. Classes 7A and 8A would have the top 16 teams get a first round bye in one bracket each.
To accommodate the expansion, the season would start one week earlier, and still end with the state finals on Thanksgiving weekend.
In a document provided by the IHSA, the proposal aims to include more teams in the playoffs, citing building traditions in communities and getting communities more engaged with their teams. The proposal also called for eliminating a five-win requirement to make the playoffs, which the IHSA believes will help keep teams from moving conferences and build up local rivalries.
A separate proposal would establish a “Flexed Regional Football” system that would establish opponents closer to home.
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