Quietly, IHSAA
classes turn upside down
A-4 becomes 1A
Last Wednesday,
the Idaho High School Activities Association’s Board of Directors
literally turned the face of Gem State athletics upside down.
During its
meeting in Boise, the board voted unanimously to change the way it
labels the different classifications of sports in Idaho, for the
2002-2004 classification cycle.
For 37 years,
big schools in Idaho have been labeled A-1 and small schools have been
A-4. It’s all reversed starting in the fall of 2001—big schools now
5A and small schools 1A.
Hailey’s Wood
River High School will be 3A instead of A-2 starting this fall. Carey
School and The Community School will be 1A instead of A-4.
None of the 139
high schools in Idaho are changing their level of competition or the
opponents they play because of last Wednesday’s action.
Bill Young,
IHSAA executive director, said, "It’s a major step, one that
should be ratified at our Aug. 1 meeting.
"There
were two main reasons for the change. The first was to eliminate the
confusion between our A-1 Division 1 and A-1 Division 2 classes. Now it
will be simple and clear—5A for the biggest schools and 4A for the
next biggest.
"The
second reason is the change puts Idaho in line with the systems used in
surrounding states like Oregon and Washington."
"Keep in
mind that for this fall, only the names are changing. No numbers
(enrollment figures) will change."
The decision
changes a system that has been in place since 1964, when Idaho’s
sports classes first went to A-1 (big schools), A-2, A-3 and A-4 (small
schools) for boys’ basketball.
From 1917-1937,
Idaho had one class only. From 1938-57, it was Classes A and B, then
from 1958-63 it was Classes A, AA and AAA. Since 1984, big schools have
been split into A-1 Division 1 and 2 for football.
Young said the
IHSAA Board of Control at its Aug. 1 meeting will continue talking about
possible changes in enrollment figures for each class.
Such changes
would impact Wood River and possibly schools like Shoshone.
Currently, A-1
Division 1 schools (now 5A) are based on ninth- through 12th grade
enrollments of 1,250-plus. Others currently: A-1 Division 2 (800-1,249);
A-2 (350-799); A-3 (150-349); and A-4 (149 and lower).
These
enrollment figures will stay the same for the 2002-2004 classification
cycle, even though the nomenclature will change. But there is a proposal
to change the figures for the 2004-2006 classification cycle.
For instance,
5A would change from 1,200-plus to 1,200-plus. And 4A would change from
800-1,249 to 600-1,199.
Such a change
would move bigger 3A schools like Preston (732 students in 2001-02),
Wood River (726), Snake River (726), Lakeland (722), Shelley (670) and
Middleton (594) into 4A.
The new 3A
figures would be 300-599 instead of 350-799, and the new 2A numbers
would be 125-299 instead of 150-349. Accordingly, schools like Shoshoine
(129) and Hagerman (129) would have to move up a class.
New numbers
also would change the 1A class from 149-and-lower to 124-and-lower. That
would put 1A schools like Oakley (115) and Raft River (113) close to the
limit, and The Community School (106) right behind. Carey (76) looks
safe for the moment to stay 1A.
Young said he
expects the "rough draft," of changes to be discussed and
negotiated this year and next year—as Gem State schools grapple with
growth and get used to the new classification nomenclature.
State tennis is
changed
For one year
only, the IHSAA has voted to change the dates of the state tennis
tournament staged in Boise.
Generally, the
IHSAA’s state track, tennis and softball tournaments are held the same
weekend—usually the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.
In 2002, the
state track meet in Boise is set for Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25.
Because
Memorial Day weekend is a major one for tennis tournaments in the Boise
area, enough conflicts in available playing courts existed to move the
state tennis tournament up a week, Young said.
So, the 2002
state tennis tournaments will be May 17-18.