2016 redistricting

[fmclonefan]

For the heck of it, was looking at BEDS numbers for this year and projecting to next year. As Kid put in one of the forums on the 4A board, if the order stays as is (which it most likely won't), 3A will lose Western Dubuque and Norwalk to 4A (that part will happen almost for sure), and lose Solon, Gilbert, and Boyden Hull-Rock Valley (that part is up in the air as many schools are very close together in #). It will gain MOC-Floyd Valley, Center Point-Urbana, Spirit Lake, South Tama, and Iowa Falls-Alden (again, up in the air).

The talk is also that there will be 7 districts of 8 teams with the top 2 making the playoffs and then 2 wildcard slots which have yet to be determined as how they will be picked. I looked through the schools and made a guess as to how they may be divided up. Tried to be geographically accurate, but many schools are on borders of two districts, so state could go either way. Probably wrong, but interesting to think about.

Group 1:
Sergeant Bluff-Lutton
Spirit Lake
MOC-FV
Spencer
Storm Lake
LeMars
SC Heelan
Denison

Group 2:
Harlan
Atlantic
Glenwood
Creston
Winterset
Dallas Center-Grimes
Carroll
ADM

Group 3:

Webster City
Iowa Falls-Alden
Algona
Greene County
Boone
Nevada
Humboldt
Perry

Group 4:

Knoxville
Chariton
Pella
Bondurant-Farrar
Saydel
Ballard
Carlisle
Newton

Group 5:

CR Xavier
Marion
Center Point-Urbana
Vinton-Shellsburg
South Tama
Benton
Central Clinton
Grinnell

Group 6:

Charles City
West Delaware
Dubuque Wahlert
Decorah
Maquoketa
Crestwood/Cresco
Independence
Waverly-SR

Group 7:

Keokuk
Fort Madison
Washington
Fairfield
Oskaloosa
Mt. Pleasant
Davenport Assumption
Clear Creek-Amana

So there will be 7 district games with 2 non-districts to start the year. The coaches want to get rid of the mid year non-district games, which I don't blame them.

 

[PNation]

I don't think you necessarily have the right 56 teams here, and your geography is a bit off.

 

[fmclonefan]

As I stated, this is based off this year's BEDS numbers, next year's may change. And yes, I could be off in my geography some, but I also loosely based this off of the current districts and those don't totally make geographical sense either. So, I certainly could be off on some teams.

 

[NeverReadTheTermsOfService]

As I stated, this is based off this year's BEDS numbers, next year's may change. And yes, I could be off in my geography some, but I also loosely based this off of the current districts and those don't totally make geographical sense either. So, I certainly could be off on some teams.

Don't they use this year's anyway? Also, just to straighten things out. Will 4A still be 700+ schools? And then 3A dropping to just 56 teams? That will be interesting if so. I kind of hope it's 56 teams for both though (honestly, I'd rather it be 64 teams for both, but I know that's not realistic).

 

[fmclonefan]

No, 4A will be 48 teams. They are dropping below the 700 mark to get to 48 schools that is why Western Dubuque and Norwalk are moving up in the world. 3A will be the next 56 teams, and I'm not exactly sure if they use this year's BEDS numbers or not. That is a good question. If so, then those will be the teams as those are the next 56 schools on the list.

 

[paxregis]

The published BEDS numbers used to classify 2015-16 sports (aside from football) are grade 9-11 numbers from the fall of 2014. The 2016-17 numbers are from this fall's count and are put up on the IAHSAA site when they release the football realignment in the spring.

 

[NeverReadTheTermsOfService]

The published BEDS numbers used to classify 2015-16 sports (aside from football) are grade 9-11 numbers from the fall of 2014. The 2016-17 numbers are from this fall's count and are put up on the IAHSAA site when they release the football realignment in the spring.

Oooh, so you'd almost have to go back a few years and guess. That's interesting.

 

[PNation]

Really wouldn't surprise me to see them go with 40 teams for 4A instead of 48

 

[fmclonefan]

Really wouldn't surprise me to see them go with 40 teams for 4A instead of 48

Wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Forty teams in 4A probably makes a lot of sense. Struggling programs like Mason City and Des Moines Hoover would be dropping a class.

However, if they still wanted 8-team districts, that would be just five, and they'd really be stretched geographically. On the plus side, they could take the top three from each district for playoffs, with just one wild card.

Interesting. I'm pretty sure things are going to change a lot by the 2018 redistricting, but for next year it looks like six 8-team districts in 4A, and seven 8-team districts in 3A, 2A and 1A. Class A and 8-player are up in the air - we'll probably see a shift towards more 8-player programs, I think.

 

[studman1]

I believe North Liberty High School will be open in 2017. Will They be in 4A or 3A

 

[makelovenotwar]

4A, almost positive. Plan is to be about 1000 students right away and room to go to 1600 or so.

Not clear if they will start with a varsity football team in year 1. May not have seniors. Schools open with all 4 years in school and schools open with 2 or 3 years in school. Both approaches are used and I do not know what the plan in Liberty is.

 

[fmclonefan]

Do they already have a middle school or freshman/JV sports program going? I know Ankeny and Centennial already had the kids divided in the younger classes and playing for their respective schools before the varsity teams were up and running.

 

[warriors dad]

If they keep 48 in 4a,56 in 3,2,and 1a and if a few A-teams drop to 8-man, that would leave maybe 40 to 50 A teams. I wish they would just get rid ofclass A and keep 48 in 4A and 64 in the rest thougts?

 

[paxregis]

4A, almost positive. Plan is to be about 1000 students right away and room to go to 1600 or so.

Not clear if they will start with a varsity football team in year 1. May not have seniors. Schools open with all 4 years in school and schools open with 2 or 3 years in school. Both approaches are used and I do not know what the plan in Liberty is.

From what I've read, IC Liberty will open with all four grades. Seniors in their attendance area that first year will have the option to stay at City or West. They will have to share outdoor facilities for a couple years because those are slated in phase 2 of construction and won't be finished until 2019.

 

[paxregis]

If they keep 48 in 4a,56 in 3,2,and 1a and if a few A-teams drop to 8-man, that would leave maybe 40 to 50 A teams. I wish they would just get rid ofclass A and keep 48 in 4A and 64 in the rest thougts?

There aren't that many schools that can drop to 8-man. Returning 3A-1A to 64 teams would only take in 24 teams. Class A is likely to remain around 56 teams and can use the same 7 district format as the bigger classes. For every school that drops to 8-man, a small 8-man team gives up their program to join a neighboring district's team. Many times that is another slightly larger district that is under the 115 BEDS ceiling and, voila, you have a sharing agreement that ends up a big Class A or small 1A.

 

[NeverReadTheTermsOfService]

Wouldn't be a bad idea.

I'm sure a lot of lower level 3A teams would love this idea because they might be able to sneak into 2A, lol. And by lower level, I mean by numbers not by how good they are.

 

[tigerhawk2015]

when will they know which teams are moving?

 

[KidSilverhair]

Isn't it January or February when the state comes out with the districts and schedules?

 

[captain_sparrow]

Isn't it January or February when the state comes out with the districts and schedules?

Yes, I distinctly remember discussing it with a football coach at a basketball game the last time they did the redistricting.

 

[NeverReadTheTermsOfService]

I think it's December when it all comes out though. I remember talking about the new districts at one of the first basketball games.

 

[fmclonefan]

I believe North Liberty High School will be open in 2017. Will They be in 4A or 3A

This will make it difficult to do the scheduling for 2016 and 2017 if the state does the scheduling on a two year cycle again. This will make a 49th 4A team and will make a schedule of different opponents for many schools from one year to the next. Also, one district will have one more team then everybody else unless they bump a school down in each class from 2016 to 2017, which I doubt they would do. Will be interesting to see what the state decides to do.

 

[PNation]

Ankeny Centennial was the same way they put the number at 47 for a year and there were a ton of week 0 games.

 

[paxregis]

The IC Liberty situation depends on if the Lightning Bolts play a varsity schedule in 2017. The transition plan to three schools allows seniors in the Liberty attendance area to opt to stay at City & West. That could leave a team with only a few seniors, making it tough to compete at the 4A level.