An expanded field of teams could be on the way in the Illinois high school football playoffs.
On Tuesday, the IHSA announced that 11 possible rule changes to the IHSA’s constitution and bylaws will be voted on by schools in December.
The football proposal, Proposal 19, would move the start of the season up one week and eliminate the scrimmages. Sixteen teams would be added to each class in the playoffs, with byes to the 16 top teams in 7A/8A, and byes to the 8 top teams in the rest. There are currently 32 teams per class in the state playoffs.
Schools may vote in favor, against, or no opinion on each proposal. Voting runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15. A simple majority of yes or no votes cast will determine whether each proposal passes. Proposals that receive the simple majority vote from the IHSA membership will go into effect on July 1
The proposal to allow one free transfer per student did not make the ballot. Neither did the proposal to establish a tiered multiplier for non-boundaried schools based on population The proposal to have higher seeds host regionals did not advance and neither did Roxana’s proposal to bring back a version of the district scheduling idea for football.
Here’s a brief summary of the other proposals that made the ballot.
Proposal 1: Expands the IHSA Board of Directors to include four additional seats reserved for a Superintendent, President, CEO or Head of School.
Proposal 2: Allows IHSA to revise, amend, or supplement any ruling based upon information gathered during legal discovery. Also requires that all obtainable information be presented at the time of the appeal to the Hearing Board, while clarifying that the Executive Director cannot provide a new ruling following an appeal to the Hearing Board.
Proposal 5: Prevents a cooperative agreement between two or more schools that exceeds 3,500 students from competing for team awards in the IHSA State Series.
Proposal 10: Adds language to the IHSA recruitment by-laws that affirm that the rules apply to prospective student-athletes.
Proposal 11: Provides students with the ability to compete in two non-school competitions in that sport during the high school season. A third non-school competition is also allowed if the competition is sanctioned by the National Governing Body of that sport. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect 30 days after being passed.
Proposal 12: Allows each school to participate in one football combine that is free of charge to attendees. Schools may organize and transport up to 20 students to attend the combine. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect 30 days after being passed.
Proposal 13: Establishes an IHSA “No Contact Week” that will annually fall during the week of the 4th of July week (June 29 - July 5, 2026). Schools may not practice, compete, hold open gyms, provide conditioning or weight training during this week. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect in July of 2026.
Proposal 19: Moves the start of IHSA Football games up one week (eliminating Week 0 scrimmage) and adds 16 teams per classification to the playoffs.
Proposal 21: Moves the boys volleyball season start and end date up one week. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect for the 2027 season.
Proposal 22: Moves the start of the softball season up one week. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect for the 2026 season.
Proposal 23: Moves the start and end of the girls wrestling season up two weeks.
Proposal 24: Modifies the suspension for ejection of unsportsmanlike conduct by players in tackle football for flagrant contact to have a video review process to clarify the accuracy of the judgment call. IHSA Staff would review video sent by a school and make a recommendation to the Executive Director to affirm the call on the field or overturn and return a student to their next contest.