The Illinois High School Association recently held their State Football Finals and went under fire from fans statewide with the “Private vs Public” debate reigniting.  Seven of the eight State Finals were won by private schools, several who were competing at classes lower than they would normally compete due to the multiplier waiver.

While the IHSA themselves cannot create new legislation, as they are a member-driven association, the board did what little they could at the December meeting in attempt to re-stabilize things by changing the classification cycle from every two years to a yearly cycle.

 

Statement from the IHSA Board of Directors

“The IHSA Board of Directors has heard the concerns from the public, and more importantly, from our member schools in the days since the completion of the IHSA’s fall state tournaments.

As a Board, we recognize certain trends and data within IHSA sports and activities that lead us to believe that some changes are necessary.

It is fundamental to understand that the IHSA’s rules are made up of two subsets:
1. IHSA Board Policy.
2. IHSA By-laws.

IHSA Board Policy can be adjusted by the IHSA Board of Directors, while IHSA By-Laws require the vote of the IHSA member schools.

The Board took action at its meeting on Monday, December 9 to begin using a one-year classification cycle in 2025-26, ending the use of the current two-year cycle. The IHSA will use enrollments collected by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in September of 2024 to determine each school’s classification enrollment for the 2025-26 school year.

Throughout 2025, the Board plans to delve deeper into all aspects that impact IHSA classifications. It is our hope that we can achieve consensus to both adjust Board Policy prior to the 2025-26 school year, and bring forth a by-law proposal or proposals to the membership during the 2025-26 legislative process.

Throughout the fall, administrators from numerous member high schools across the state have engaged with the Board. We appreciate all communication, respect each point of view that has been offered, and will consider all ideas that have been provided.

The passion evoked by constituents in their communications to the Board are tangible proof that high school sports and activities remain a fabric of our high school communities, and that the work of the IHSA is as important today as it was in 1900.

We remain committed to working with the IHSA member high schools to provide the best experience we can for all who compete in IHSA sports and activities.”