The Illinois High School Association is considering a major change to its postseason format that would create separate paths for public and private schools to reach the state semifinals.
According to IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson, the association’s competitive balance committee is recommending a policy that would place all private schools within each classification into the same quadrant of the postseason bracket.
Under the proposal, private schools would compete against one another in the earlier rounds, ensuring that no more than one private school from each classification could advance to the state semifinals. Public and private schools would still compete for the same state championship.
The potential change would impact bracketed team sports, including football, boys and girls basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, and boys and girls soccer.
Anderson told WRMJ Radio that the committee wanted to address competitive balance concerns without completely separating public and private schools into different state tournaments.
The proposal is expected to be presented to IHSA member schools during town hall meetings throughout Illinois in November.
If the proposal receives enough support, the IHSA Board of Directors could approve the change, with implementation beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
Because the proposal would be a board policy change rather than a by-law amendment, it would not require a vote of IHSA member schools.
No final decision has been made, and the current postseason format remains in place for the 2026-27 school year.
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