Opting up
- Thread starter jotapepe
- Start date
I think the biggest, funniest power move of all time would be letting everyone run away to 7a and then last second petition up and force everyone to play you anyway.
ESL’s conference is tone deaf. Everyone but a few decision makers want them to be moved up but here we are.
All.... Moves the Titans from Chatham a bit closer to Class 5A postseason play. Ratsy
I hope Naz hangs around long enough to beat Antioch and have their recruiting radius posted on twitter.
All.... Yes and the same for GS. Both bugged out last season to avoid the heavy hitter privates in 5a and alas because of the SF two of those teams as you are aware are now in 6A. The Raiders if they make postseason play more then likely will end up in the southern bracket of 16 again along with a battle tested Hilltopper team. Last year they were one and done getting pounded by Kankakee. Antioch got rolled in the second round by Cary Grove in the second round. Mixed results for the two by moving up. And the irony of it all early outs for both by fellow public schools. Ratsy
I'm pretty sure ESL being locked into the 6A south bracket had an impact on Richards moving up.
All.... Not that it was a surprise but the Flyers did officially get their paperwork in before the deadline today and will defend their 6A title. Ratsy
so much respect for playing down in 6a again. That tough little 5a team really challenges themselves in the post season.
St. Rita's enrollment has been 6A the last few years. Historically, Rita always been a 7A school, so I get petitioning up to that class. ESL is a dominant program, and because of this silly North/South situation, a school like Richards and Rita have a decent chance of facing ESL in Round 1. Not good, imo.
If 6A went 1 - 32 seeding, then I could see teams possibly staying in 6A and have better chances seeing ESL in later rounds.
MC has knocked Rita out of 7A playoffs the last three years (I know, Batavia has no sympathy for Rita here). However, two of those losses came in the semifinals, while the other one was R1.
All.... I'm going to assume you are bored on labor day holiday morning and being facetious. Everyone knows by now their conference are not allowing them to play in the 7A or 8A playoffs. With the ESTL pedigree playing as an independent would be very difficult if not impossible. Costly for nine games and finding nine to line up against the Flyers year after year would have diminishing returns in my opinion. Ratsy
I am absolutely perplexed on how a conference can tell a school they cannot "play up" in the playoffs.
Conference bylaws. Word it something like "no school shall petition up more than 1 playoff class." However it was worded, it was worded specifically to target ESL and keep them out of 7A and 8A.
This then locks ESL into choosing to petition up to where they want to play or staying in their home of the only conference that is a meaningful geographic/size/competition match for them. Going independent is tough for football, but is really a nonstarter because of the other sports that need the league they are in.
Petitioning up is one of the IHSA's worst allowed decisions. You are seeing gamesmanship from lots of teams now.
Perhaps it’s time for a new proposal to vote on that addresses this and takes it out of their conferences hands.
“no conference can force a competing member into a specific classification or prevent them from moving up into whatever classification they would like .”
3 state titles and 2 runner ups in the past 5 years validates action.
It’s what is best for IHSA football.
Yep. SF for all champions and don't let anyone petition up.
LA petitioning up a few years ago allowed both LA and MC to have lighter roads to state titles. MC being SF'd and Naz joining ESL in 6A this year is leading Batavia to see a better chance for a title in 7A than 6A. So they are basically choosing their division to give themselves a better chance at a title.
Props to ESL and LA as having the guts to petition up. But if it wasn't an option and this all just played out naturally, we would be in a much better spot.
It works out that Batavia would have an easier path in 7A, but they were naturally a 7A team the last several years. I that's just where they're comfortable.
It's amazing to me that 1...ppl still don't understand the circumstances behind esl inability to play in 7a or 8a. And 2... people knock esl for not petitioning up 2 or 3 classes when most schools don't petition up at all
Especially when the number one group of fans who question it have never petitioned up
If ESL was in 7a, Batavia would have been comfortable in 6a.
Nah, that punishes the underclassmen. Public school coaches must deal with "what steps off the bus." And there is no reason to punish a program in a community which draws because it is safe and has great teachers or a program which annually gets kids looks from college teams. I have yet to hear a reasonable and non-victim culture reason to hold back a school from playing up. If Althoff of 2024 wanted to have the opportunity to play Mt. Carmel in the 7A finals, I am good with it.
Any public school winning to the point of needing to be success factored is not just working with what the bus drops off.
Funny how you're so concerned with other teams opting up. When was the last time MC voluntarily opted up? Why didn't they opt up to 8A to challenge LWE and Loyola instead of hanging around 7A where there was rarely a serious challenge.
Right, because people are lining up to transfer into places like Le-Win, Wilmington, Byron, and Rochester.
I have said MC should be 8a for years. I'm not MC63.
If I remember correctly the SF was a method of moving up specific privates since there was some much pushback to the multiplier. I believe the opt up is the same to allow those that know they should be up to place themselves up.
I said back then if schools dont start placing themselves up there's going to be some big changes. Think we might be close.
I said back then if schools dont start placing themselves up there's going to be some big changes. Think we might be close.
All I got to say is if you’ve been to a the state championship 6 out of the last 8 years you should be success factored up to the next class since you won’t voluntarily go up. Success factor should be for all schools.
At one point families were trying to transfer into Rochester, not that long ago. But I do understand your overall point.
I do think the SF should be across the board for schools, JMO.
Rochester has gotten their fair share of transfers from the Springfield area
while I'm all for this I think it has very little probability of passing the vote. While a proposal that states a conference can't dictate what class a program is should easily pass the vote.
It's what's best for the conference. I don't blame them.
But it's not what's best for the IHSA playoffs and thus proposing it to a vote sounds like a good idea
All.... I don't recall when the SF was put in place if it had to be voted on by the collective school members or could be done at the top by the Ihsa board and their officials. If it's by membership should it come up get ready for epic ballot stuffing of NO! Certain teams are too comfortable swimming in those shallow waters tooting their horns
and collecting hardware. Oh my. The multiplier was instituted because of the 30 mile rule with private schools. Problem solved. Cost many a private school postseason victories or even more. Publics don't want to incur any postseason losses to them and let the front office know of that position quite often. I'm surprised that in 2025 the Ihsa hasn't caved even more to all of those torch carrying public school administrators and decided to separate the private and publics in postseason play. Of course their is that sticky issue of possible loss of revenue lol GIVE me the NIPL!
RatsyI recall a time when you were calling for a heavier multiplier to JCA because of population density. Can you explain your population density multiplier proposal againAll.... I don't recall when the SF was put in place if it had to be voted on by the collective school members or could be done at the top by the Ihsa board and their officials. If it's by membership should it come up get ready for epic ballot stuffing of NO! Certain teams are too comfortable swimming in those shallow waters tooting their horns
The multiplier was instituted because of the 30 mile rule with private schools. Problem solved. Cost many a private school postseason victories or even more. Publics don't want to incur any postseason losses to them and let the front office know of that position quite often. I'm surprised that in 2025 the Ihsa hasn't caved even more to all of those torch carrying public school administrators and decided to separate the private and publics in postseason play. Of course their is that sticky issue of possible loss of revenue lol GIVE me the NIPL!
So you're saying having a clean school, with good teachers, in a safe environment, with a supportive faulty and parent group, with a great work ethic,, and a great coacing staff should be punished.
That comment screams, "We don't have a JFL. We won't invest into a JFL. And we want equity, not equality."
That isn't all you have to say. You forgot about the part where you are envious of environments which encourage participation, dedication, exceeding expectations, and mentorship. Oh, and you neglected the part about how you want higher property taxes, parental commitment to school fundraising for special events, an expectation that the fans will travel across the state for even a game against a sub par opponent, dedication of the parents and athletes to 7 on 7's and training camps.