IHSA member schools voted against a district scheduling proposal for football, the IHSA announced Tuesday. The vote was 379 no votes, 272 yes votes, and 76 schools voted no opinion.
Schools voted on the proposal without knowing what the districts would be. Voting was open for member schools from December 4-18.
If passed, the proposal would have done away with conferences in IHSA football and split teams into eight districts in each classification starting with the 2024 season. There would have been eight teams in those districts with the top four teams from each district advancing to the playoffs.
A move to districts originally passed in 2018, but was rescinded the next year.
IHSA executive director Craig Anderson released this statement: “The IHSA Board of Directors has already had discussions about the potential of forming a Football Ad Hoc Committee in 2024 in the event that this district proposal failed to pass. They want to be proactive in trying to address the issues that are at the root of different football proposals seemingly being brought forth each year. They recognize the myriad issues in IHSA football are unique and can be based on geography, school size, conference affiliation, and the traditional success of a program, which is why no recent proposals have garnered enough support to pass. There is likely no singular answer to these issues, but the Board wants to explore the idea that a large and diverse group from around the state might be able to find some solutions that the high school football community in the state would support.”
Mercer County, Rockridge, Sherrard, Orion, Monmouth-Roseville, Riverdale, Kewanee, Hall, Princeton, Newman, Erie-Prophetstown, and Mendota will make up the Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) beginning in 2024-25.
Reaction from Mercer County head coach Tanner Matlick:
Reaction from Sherrard head coach Brandon Johnston: