IHSAA approves changes in class sports

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The Indiana High School Athletic Association will add a sixth class in football and a points system that would move schools up a class in team sports if they have two consecutive years of tournament success.

Also, the 2012-13 girls basketball state finals were awarded to Terre Haute's Hulman Center over bids by Fort Wayne's Memorial Coliseum and Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

These changes were approved by the IHSAA Executive Committee on Thursday.

Perhaps the most significant is the points system that would move up schools that have two years of tournament success in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball or volleyball.

Among the Fort Wayne area schools most likely to be affected by the change would be Bishop Luers, Canterbury, Blackhawk Christian and Lakewood Park Christian, given their reason postseason successes.

In football, the executive committee voted to adopt a sixth class by a 13-5 vote, but rejected seeding the sectionals by a 17-1 vote. The sixth class, which will start in 2013, will be created by splitting the current Class 5A into two classes.

The tournament success point system, approved by a 16-2 vote, is set up so that, on a sport-by-sport basis, schools that have success over a two-year period will move up one class. Schools will earn one point for a sectional title, two points for a regional title, three points for a semi-state title and four points for a state title. If a school earns six or more points over a two-year period, it will move up one class for the next two years.

Point totals will be compiled based on the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years to determine classes for the 2013-14 school year.

“I believe these changes significantly address competition issues in football and will prove to enhance the team sport experience across all other disciplines,” IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox said in a release.