FORT WAYNE – The Indiana Football Coaches Association is looking at its proposal for revamping the football playoff system as a way to improve the sport, while IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox wants it to transcend to multiple sports.
These viewpoints are seemingly in conflict with each other. Both sides have formulated plans to improve the competitive balance of the postseason. The spirit is much the same, but the execution is somewhat different.
The IFCA’s three-pronged plan includes creating a sixth class; seeding the sectionals; and adding a tradition factor that can move teams up a class based on past success.
“The driving force behind the proposal is that it appeals to everybody,” said Snider coach Kurt Tippmann, who is on the IFCA committee that created the proposal. “The coaches are trying to get what is best for our sport and not just our school.”
The results of an IFCA state survey have 92 percent of coaches, 85 percent of athletic directors and 84 percent of principals in favor of the IFCA proposal.
The IFCA will formally present its proposal to the state’s athletic director board Jan. 18, then will take it to the IHSAA.
“According to my AD (Mark DeHart), who’s president of the AD association, and some other ADs, it sounds like we have a good chance of our proposal passing at the ADs meeting,” said Brownstown Central coach Reed May, co-chairman of the proposal committee. “Then will see what happens with the IHSAA.”
The IHSAA has already informally looked at the coaches’ proposal, and the state’s athletic governing body was instrumental in having a fourth part of the proposal dropped with the socio-economic portion.
Whether or not the IHSAA considers the proposal, Tippmann said the IFCA doesn’t want it broken apart.
“It is an all-or-nothing proposal,” said Tippmann, the IFCA Region 3 director. “Any part by itself would not garner the support of the IFCA.”
Cox’s idea of implementing the tradition factor – but for all classed sports – has indeed taken just one aspect of the IFCA’s proposal.
“The glaring issue that comes up when we have seven of 10 teams in the state (football) finals is that people get upset about who is winning these tournaments,” Cox said. “If success is the issue, then let’s address success. That’s why I have come up with my proposal. … I also have a difficult time treating football differently than we do the other team sports.”
Just like the IFCA’s proposal, Cox’s plan would assign point values for how far a team advances in the state finals from year to year. The biggest difference is that Cox’s idea would only be for a two-year period and the IFCA has proposed a four-year plan.
“The flaw in his plan is that you must win state and be state runner-up in two consecutive years to move up a class,” May said.
