Classification Release Date is...
- Thread starter Sadey2011
- Start date
Have talked with a couple of friends of mine that coach HS fb and they got their emails today with their classifications.
The state has posted the preliminary classifications for 2016-17 football on the IHSAA website. Here's the gist:
- Western Dubuque and Newton move up to 4A
- Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Chariton, Crestwood and Saydel drop from 3A to 2A, while Center Point-Urbana, Iowa Falls-Alden, North Polk, South Tama and Spirit Lake move from 2A to 3A
- Louisa-Muscatine, Okiboji, Tipton, and West Central Valley drop from 2A to 1A, while Dike-New Hartford, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Pocahontas Area, South Central Calhoun, Underwood, and West Marshall move from 1A to 2A
- Alburnett, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Hudson, Ridge View, Saint Ansgar, Southwest Valley, Fort Dodge Saint Edmonds, West Fork, and West Monona drop from 1A to A, while Alta/Aurelia, BCLUW, Belmond-Klemme, Denver, Logan-Magnolia, Maquoketa Valley, Mount Ayr, Pleasantville, Tri Center, and Van Buren move from A to 1A
The cutoffs are:
610 largest 3A school (Norwalk); 318 smallest 3A school (Iowa Falls-Alden)
315 largest 2A school (MOC Floyd Valley); 203 smallest 2A school (four come in at 203)
202 largest 1A school (Tipton); 157 smallest 1A school (Clayton Ridge - they have Guthrie Center at 126 but I think that's a typo and should probably be 162)
157 largest A school (Pekin)
- Western Dubuque and Newton move up to 4A
- Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Chariton, Crestwood and Saydel drop from 3A to 2A, while Center Point-Urbana, Iowa Falls-Alden, North Polk, South Tama and Spirit Lake move from 2A to 3A
- Louisa-Muscatine, Okiboji, Tipton, and West Central Valley drop from 2A to 1A, while Dike-New Hartford, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Pocahontas Area, South Central Calhoun, Underwood, and West Marshall move from 1A to 2A
- Alburnett, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Hudson, Ridge View, Saint Ansgar, Southwest Valley, Fort Dodge Saint Edmonds, West Fork, and West Monona drop from 1A to A, while Alta/Aurelia, BCLUW, Belmond-Klemme, Denver, Logan-Magnolia, Maquoketa Valley, Mount Ayr, Pleasantville, Tri Center, and Van Buren move from A to 1A
The cutoffs are:
610 largest 3A school (Norwalk); 318 smallest 3A school (Iowa Falls-Alden)
315 largest 2A school (MOC Floyd Valley); 203 smallest 2A school (four come in at 203)
202 largest 1A school (Tipton); 157 smallest 1A school (Clayton Ridge - they have Guthrie Center at 126 but I think that's a typo and should probably be 162)
157 largest A school (Pekin)
Here's a map of the 3A schools. It's pretty simple to get six schools grouped together in each of the corners, but stretching to eight is going to mean some, well ... stretching.
https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/3A Football
If nobody else gets a Class A map pulled together for troutstamp, I might do that later today.
https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/3A Football
If nobody else gets a Class A map pulled together for troutstamp, I might do that later today.
Remember, there might not be 8 districts, but 7 districts of eight teams.
For 3A discussion purposes: Glenwood is out there by itself in the southwest, kinda like Decorah is in the northeast. Do you go with a north-south district there, running from Le Mars down to Glenwood along the Missouri? Then you'd have to throw in Storm Lake, Carroll or Creston to make it eight. Or do you group northwest and southwest, putting Glenwood in with teams as far east as Winterset and Greene County? Either way might work ...
It's just tough to get a compact eight teams together. Do you stretch Decorah's district all the way to take in Webster City? Or do you stretch it south to Vinton-Shellsburg and/or Center Point-Urbana? If you take those two away from the east-central district, now you're having South Tama and Grinnell travel all the way to Maquoketa and DeWitt. Who has to get the long haul to/from Keokuk, Central DeWitt or Oskaloosa?
There's a lot of options, but every one of them sticks six or seven schools with a looong drive. It's just a matter of which six or seven schools get the short straw.
And to round out the non-4A/11-player classes, here's your 1A map for 2016-17.
https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/Iowa Class 1A
https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/Iowa Class 1A
Here's 8-man...might explain a little about why St. Ed's is in the middle of nowhere.
https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/8-Man schools
SW Iowa is packed now with the addition of Audubon, Clarinda Academy, and a couple of others. Could easily have two districts in that area with very short drives for all involved.
https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/8-Man schools
SW Iowa is packed now with the addition of Audubon, Clarinda Academy, and a couple of others. Could easily have two districts in that area with very short drives for all involved.
Does anyone know if ST. eds #s are going to continue to drop or just a dip in the road?
State just sent out a letter stating that there will be 7 districts of 8 teams with 2 at large teams. See below:
The following recommendations from the Football Advisory Committee that met
on December 9, 2015 were approved by the IHSAA Board of Control at their
meeting this morning. More details from our office will follow in early February
regarding each approved item. One item was tabled, meaning no action was taken
on that recommendation at this time. It will be brought about as an action item at
the next Board of Control meeting.
Regular season:
1) District alignment
a) Classes 3A, 2A , 1A, & A –Will have 7 districts with 8 schools in each district. Each
district champion and runner-up would qualify for the playoffs along with two at-large teams.
Having 7 districts of 8 teams each eliminates the need for a non-district game later in the season.
We currently have 56 schools in each class A-3A, which allows us to have 7 districts of eight
teams in a district.
b) Class 8-Player- We currently have 62 teams in 8-player football, which requires 6
districts of 8 teams and 2 districts of 7 teams for a total of 8 districts. Each district
champion and runner-up would qualify for the playoffs.
c) Class 4A- We will continue to have 8 districts with 6 schools in each district. Each
district champion and runner-up would qualify for the playoffs.
(NOTE: THE FOOTBALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION WAS
TO POLL THE 4A SCHOOLS TO SEEK INPUT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT
DURING THE FALL DISTRICT AD MEETINGS AND IFCA MEETINGS THAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR INPUT WAS ALREADY AVAILABLE.)
d) Increase the +/- 13 point tie-breaker differential to +/- 17 points. With the
recommendation of at-large qualifiers for the post-season the increase in the tie-breaker
differential should reduce the need for the alphabetical tie-breaker to determine qualifiers.
Also, with the trend toward spread offenses most coaches do not feel that game is “in hand”
with a point differential of 13 points. 17 points is a three score differential.
Post-season:
1) Eliminate the 125-mile limitation for the first round of the playoffs. With playoff games on
Friday night it is not as important to “protect” the time students return from the game because
there is no class the next day. Also, this helps provide the opportunity to eliminate district
rematches between the #1 and #2 seeds in the first round.
2) Each team provide three game balls to the umpire prior to the game for inspection. The ball
will be required to be the IHSAA approved football. This is standard procedure during the
regular season and allows teams to play with balls they are comfortable with. It also
eliminates any gamesmanship that may take place regarding the condition of the balls
provided by the host school. The IHSAA will continue to provide games balls to the host
schools to meet our contractual agreement with Spalding.
3) Instead of creating match ups upon the completion of each round, a bracket system should be
created so each team can see their potential opponents throughout the playoffs. The bracket
system provides teams the opportunity to prepare scouting reports for potential opponents. It
also allows fans to follow their favorite teams as they progress through the playoffs.
4) Criteria for determining the at-large qualifiers:
1. Anyone considered a district champion.
2. Best district record
3. Head-to-head competition (District and non-district)
4. Tie-breaker differential within the district
5. A random draw, drawing a letter from the alphabet and teams closest to that letter (going
from A-Z, according to the IHSAA directory for that year is the qualifier.
(NOTE: THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FOOTBALL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE WAS TO FOR CRITERIA #5 TO BE A COIN FLIP TO DETERMINE
THE QUALIFIER. THE BOARD OF CONTROL WAS CONCERNED ABOUT
LOGISTICS AND DETERMINED A RANDOM ALPHABET SYSTEM TO BE A
BETTER CRITERIA.)
IF YOU ARE A CLASS 3A, 2A, 1A OR A SCHOOL: Please pay special attention to
criteria #3 for determining the at-large qualifiers. We want to bring this to your attention
regarding you non-district priority list. In the past we have stated that who you play during
non-district competition has no bearing on your ability to qualify for the post season. With
the at-large system now in place, that is not necessarily true. If you decide to play a school in
the same classification as you, and both schools end up tied for an at large position with the
same district record, that head to head competition may determine the final qualifier.
For example:
In 6 districts we have a district champion and a district runner up.
12 qualifiers.
In 1 district we have a three way tie as the district champion.
3 qualifiers.
We have one at large position available.
Team A and Team B from different districts both finish 5-2 in their respective district, no
other non-district champion or district runner up teams finish with a record better than this.
During week 1, Team A and Team B played each other and Team B defeated Team A.
Based on the criteria, Team B is the 16th qualifier and Team A does not qualify for the post
season.
IF YOU ARE A CLASS 4A OR 8 PLAYER SCHOOL: You will continue with your normal
process for non-district opponents. Who you play non-district will have no bearing on you
qualifying for the post season. Just a reminder for 8 player schools that your non-district
opponents will be chosen for you.
The next step for all schools is to begin the process of selecting their priority list for non-district
contests. The ability to begin that process should open up on Friday, January 22nd and will close
at 12 PM on Monday, February 1st. The IHSAA will make every effort that any two teams who
place each other #1 on each other’s priority list will be guaranteed to play each other. We cannot
promise what week or what location. We hope that you have already begun the process of
communicating with other schools, but now that districts have been releases and you know who
you are playing and also understand part of the criteria for playoff selection, you can finish this
phase of the football redistricting for the next two years.
In addition, you will need to “click” the box on the non-district priority list if you share your
facility with another school. This is vital information as we try to avoid placing two home games
at the same site, making sure that their schedules are opposite of each other. Those facilities that
host more than 2 schools will be contacted by our office closer to the release of schedules to
work on conflicts and Thursday night contests.
Once February 1st is here, the process of creating all schedules will begin. It will take
approximately a month to complete all 6 classes. We will let you know in mid to late February
when we release the actual schedules.
TABLED-NO ACTION TAKEN UNTIL
NEXT BOARD OF CONTROL MEETING
Pre-Season:
1. Student-athletes be provided the opportunity to wear football helmets and mouth guards
during all summer activities supervised by a properly authorized coach who is contracted for
that school. The rationale is twofold: a) to minimize the risk of potential unintended injuries
resulting from a player’s head hitting a hard object such as another player’s knee, elbow or
head or hitting the ground, and, b) to assist with heat acclimatization before the first official
day of practice. This would allow schools the opportunity to issue student-athletes helmets
and mouth guards for use during summer workouts, but each school would have to determine
whether the rental of this equipment would be allowed. Our recommendation (IHSAA) to
school administrators would be contact their insurance carrier and legal counsel before
allowing the equipment to be issued.
Iowa Code Section 297.9 requires public schools to charge a fair rental value for use of
school equipment for non-school purposes. An excerpt from the May 2013 Iowa DE School
Leader Update states, “Can public schools allow students to borrow school equipment for
personal use at no charge? No, you must charge a usage fee. Additionally, you should
check with your insurance carrier about any liabilities that may result from allowing this
usage.” For the protection of the school we believe helmets would need to be issued for
each workout so students were not wearing them for non-football related activities and
without an authorized coach, contracted by the school, present.
The schools will be notified this afternoon. I don't know when they'll be posted to the public.
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