Scheduling w/Split Conferences

[OldSchoolCoach]

Question for the group.

Does the IHSA allow for schedules to be TBD for week 9 if a large conference decided to have split divisions, but then at week 9 have a cross-conference "championship"?

Essentially an East/West or North/South would playing against the other division during week 9 based off their divisional ranking. I could see this being a solution for large, closed conferences like the FVC or Big 12 to have non conferences games.

Would the IHSA allow this? Would they accept each division as its own conference championship for playoff purposes, but let the overall championship be separate.

Thoughts?

 

[jotapepe]

Question for the group.

Does the IHSA allow for schedules to be TBD for week 9 if a large conference decided to have split divisions, but then at week 9 have a cross-conference "championship"?

Essentially an East/West or North/South would playing against the other division during week 9 based off their divisional ranking. I could see this being a solution for large, closed conferences like the FVC or Big 12 to have non conferences games.

Would the IHSA allow this? Would they accept each division as its own conference championship for playoff purposes, but let the overall championship be separate.

Thoughts?

Yes. The "overall" conference championship makes no difference for the IHSA. The DuPage Valley used to do something like this.

With that said, the entire purpose of 10-team conferences like the FVC, NIC-10, etc. is to not have to worry about scheduling. No opportunity for nonconference games means no need for nonconference games. They don't have to look for games, find games, it's easy and predictable and teams like that.

 

[OldSchoolCoach]

Yes. The "overall" conference championship makes no difference for the IHSA. The DuPage Valley used to do something like this.

With that said, the entire purpose of 10-team conferences like the FVC, NIC-10, etc. is to not have to worry about scheduling. No opportunity for nonconference games means no need for nonconference games. They don't have to look for games, find games, it's easy and predictable and teams like that.

Very understandable as it is growing tougher and tougher to find non-conference games. I know us folk on here like to use it as a measuring stick heading into the playoffs because some conferences are weaker than others and its hard to judge the closed conferences.

 

[mc140]

With it now being the "race to three", it shouldn't be that hard to schedule. In theory..

 

[Cross Bones]

Very understandable as it is growing tougher and tougher to find non-conference games. I know us folk on here like to use it as a measuring stick heading into the playoffs because some conferences are weaker than others and its hard to judge the closed conferences.

If there were more teams in the marketplace it would be easier, no?

 

[jotapepe]

If there were more teams in the marketplace it would be easier, no?

Not always. Sometimes distance causes issues. Big schools in the Quad Cities, for instance, have issues finding games that don't involve long travel (Iowa teams basically don't play across state lines most of the time). Freeport would have issues finding opponents. I could go on with non-Chicagoland teams. It's a problem for lots of people out there.

 

[Cross Bones]

Not always. Sometimes distance causes issues. Big schools in the Quad Cities, for instance, have issues finding games that don't involve long travel (Iowa teams basically don't play across state lines most of the time). Freeport would have issues finding opponents. I could go on with non-Chicagoland teams. It's a problem for lots of people out there.

Possibly. I cant speak to what schools are willing to do. Personally I love a road trip. We played at Moline in 2006 I think . But I think that Moline being able to look outside the Quad Cities gives them more opportunity.

 

[johnndoe]

What about a scrimmage during the Week 10 play-in round between teams (presumably in different classes) having a bye "to keep the axe sharp?" Could adversely affect in-person scouting plans for those higher seeds, however.

 

[4Afan]

What about a scrimmage during the Week 10 play-in round between teams (presumably in different classes) having a bye "to keep the axe sharp?" Could adversely affect in-person scouting plans for those higher seeds, however.

No team is going to give up a week 10 bye for a scrimmage.

 

[johnndoe]

What about a scrimmage during the Week 10 play-in round between teams (presumably in different classes) having a bye "to keep the axe sharp?" Could adversely affect in-person scouting plans for those higher seeds, however.

No team is going to give up a week 10 bye for a scrimmage.

Well, that was settled for everybody very definitively and in record time.

 

[HuskieFan2020]

Yes. The "overall" conference championship makes no difference for the IHSA. The DuPage Valley used to do something like this.

With that said, the entire purpose of 10-team conferences like the FVC, NIC-10, etc. is to not have to worry about scheduling. No opportunity for nonconference games means no need for nonconference games. They don't have to look for games, find games, it's easy and predictable and teams like that.

The DVC did something like this because it was only six teams in the entire conference. But the downside is that playing a team twice never really seemed to be fair.

I guess it's changing with the DVC out of the Southwest Valley Conference.

 

[HuskieFan2020]

With it now being the "race to three", it shouldn't be that hard to schedule. In theory..

It can be a challenge. Teams still want to play a total of nine games.