Here's a compromise solution. We expand field to 384 teams (48 per class). Each class split into 4 regions of 12 teams. Each region seeds 1-12 (similar process to basketball) and teams 1-4 get byes. More kids get playoff experience, teams don't miss playoffs because they played a difficult schedule, create some regional rivalries, and a likely more competitive final 4. Here is a hypothetical 8A bracket for this year (and yes, I like it because Evanston gets in

). Definitely still some mismatches in there, but I don't think any worse than current system

. Regional seeds based on Massey rating.
| Chicago | | | |
8 | Taft (7-2) | 1 | Marist (8-1) |
9 | Stagg (3-6) | | |
| | | |
5 | St Ignatius (3-6) | | |
12 | Curie (5-4) | 4 | Glenbard West (4-5) |
| | | |
7 | Downers Grove-S (7-2) | | |
10 | Lane (3-6) | 2 | Lyons (9-0) |
| | | |
6 | Hinsdale (4-5) | | |
11 | East Leyden (4-5) | 3 | York (7-2) |
| North | | | |
8 | Glenbrook South (5-4) | 1 | Loyola Acad (7-2) |
9 | Stevenson (8-1) | | |
| | | |
5 | Warren Twp (5-4) | | |
12 | Niles West (5-4) | 4 | Palatine (8-1) |
| | | |
7 | Huntley (5-4) | | |
10 | Evanston (3-6) | 2 | Maine South (6-3) |
| | | |
6 | Fremd (8-1) | | |
11 | New Trier (2-7) | 3 | Barrington (7-2) |
| South | | | |
8 | Joliet West (5-4) | 1 | Lincoln-Way East (9-0) |
9 | Plainfield South (7-2) | | |
| | | |
5 | Sandburg (5-4) | | |
12 | Bloom (3-5) | 4 | Lockport Twp (4-5) |
| | | |
7 | Belleville-East (6-3) | | |
10 | O'Fallon (2-7) | 2 | Edwardsville (6-3) |
| | | |
6 | Minooka (7-2) | | |
11 | Rich Cent (4-5) | 3 | Homewood-Flossmoor (4-5) |
| West | | | |
8 | Bolingbrook (3-6) | 1 | Naperville Cent (8-1) |
9 | Waubonsie Val (5-4) | | |
| | | |
5 | Neuqua Val (2-7) | | |
12 | Bartlett (4-5) | 4 | Plainfield North (4-5) |
| | | |
7 | Aurora-West (9-0) | | |
10 | South Elgin (6-3) | 2 | Oswego (9-0) |
| | | |
6 | Oswego (East) (4-5) | | |
11 | Lake Park (4-5) | 3 | Naperville-North (7-2) |