Champaign determined to get IHSA basketball tournaments back

[tornado]

and the people in charge do get votes when they win on things like landing the IHSA Finals - even if they cost the city gobs of money

[Vent]

First thanks for the explanation. So it is all about money. Ok, then your fine explanation can be said the same about the football playoffs. One game and done, one night in the hotel. Fact is should the team playing is close to the field no hotel and bring a lunch.

Fact is you missed my whole point. Which is if the 4 class system in High School basketball is watered down. Then the 8 class system in High School football is watered down even worse. You can't have it both ways because with your analogy then both can be said of both. Yes at least everybody gets a ribbon in football also.

Again thanks for your thought out explanation which missed the whole point.

Also if the playoffs are such money losers why would the fine city of Peoria want to keep them? I sure wouldn't/

The eight class playoff format in football is tremendously watered down. And yes the IHSA is all about money. That is how Peoria took it from Champaign in the first place, as local businesses (CAT, Ameren, etc.) and communities shelled out a lot of money to get the tournament here. In the recent bid, the cities of Pekin, Morton, Washington and East Peoria, cut back their financial backing significantly, due to the fact, since going to four classes their hotels are not sold out and their restaurants aren't as busy. As a result those communities are not getting the local sales taxes to offset their financial contributions to the tournament. With the four class system there used to be people with extra tickets, scalping them on Jefferson Street before sessions began, as just about every session was a sell out. Now those people with extra tickets, give them away for free.

As for the football playoffs, the hotels are not as crucial because you can't play back to back days in football as you can in basketball. Thus the need to stay all night is not a factor.

[Vent]

The state of Indiana expanded their tournament a few years ago and completely destroyed attendance. The had the model high school state basketball tournament of the country. The same thing happened here. Unfortunately, the IHSA doesn't like to admit it makes mistakes. The city of Peoria and surrounding communities as well as businesses, have done a marvelous job with the state tournament. There are things that have been done with the tournament that no other community could do.

Here is what I would like to see happen, since the IHSA doesn't like to admit it has made a mistake.

Move the 3A and 4A up north. Keep the 1A and 2A here. Go back to bringing 8 teams in each class to the state finals, as they did before going to the new system.

[bigjimmy]

I have never liked the expanded formats in both football and basketball. In basketball it has certainly killed the golden goose and in football it just seems like overkill. In football you can certainly combine 1A/2A, 3A/4A and 5A/6A. In basketball IHSA, just admit your mistake and go back to 2 classes.

[kds]

The state of Indiana expanded their tournament a few years ago and completely destroyed attendance. The had the model high school state basketball tournament of the country. The same thing happened here. Unfortunately, the IHSA doesn't like to admit it makes mistakes. The city of Peoria and surrounding communities as well as businesses, have done a marvelous job with the state tournament. There are things that have been done with the tournament that no other community could do.

Here is what I would like to see happen, since the IHSA doesn't like to admit it has made a mistake.

Move the 3A and 4A up north. Keep the 1A and 2A here. Go back to bringing 8 teams in each class to the state finals, as they did before going to the new system.

First I would like to thank DC, T, and Vent for answering my statement. I have to agree
the system may be a loser but it is good exposure for the kids. I have to agree with you Vent your last paragraph makes a lot of sense and I would like to see that also.

[Vent]

Many communities spend extra money for special events like the IHSA tournament in Peoria. One nice thing since the tournament moved here is not only the "Experience" in the exhibit hall, but also the IHSA state chess meet and the Scholastic Bowl are also held at the civic center as well as IHSA meetings during the basketball tournament. The drop in attendance of the IHSA is very similar to the drop in attendance for BU games. It's not the civic center's fault. It is due solely to the lesser quality of product the paying public gets to see.

The tournament is backed by local financing, very similar to the Missouri Valley Tournament in St. Louis.

[CubbieBear]

Here is what I would like to see happen, since the IHSA doesn't like to admit it has made a mistake.

Move the 3A and 4A up north. Keep the 1A and 2A here. Go back to bringing 8 teams in each class to the state finals, as they did before going to the new system.

Several of the final 4 teams in 1A have been very hard to watch from a basketball fans perspective--low quality basketball IMO--and attendance dropped off due to the decline in quality basketball (watered down). The IHSA knows this but as others have said--will not admit they were wrong and go back to a great 2 class format that worked. Moving 3 & 4 north--keeping 1 & 2 here and bringing in 8 teams would be better IMO too--

And yes--combine football and go to 4 classes makes sense--so it will not happen either

[turtle]

2 class was the best ---------- IHSA FAIL

[CubbieBear]

Absolutely--it wasn't broke so they fixed it

[tornado]

maybe the people in Pontiac are assuming everyone will be heading north to Chicago - going right by on I-55
they are building a museum for basketball in Illinois in conjunction with IBCA...

http://www.wandtv.com/story/27990971/illinois-basketball-museum-set-for-2016-opening-in-pontiac

[Vent]

For years, the IBCA Hall of Fame was at the Holiday Inn in Bloomington/Normal, on Veterans Drive, just off I-55. I have no idea if it's still there. There wasn't much to it.

[TNel]

That Holiday Inn is long gone.

[tornado]

...The drop in attendance of the IHSA is very similar to the drop in attendance for BU games. ....

nope - this one is easy to answer....

-the drop in attendance at Bradley games is 100% due to poor scheduling & lousy basketball being played and the inability for our teams to score or beat people.
Bring back good teams, scoring, passing, fun basketball, and winning and we will see 10,000 again

-the drop in attendance at IHSA State Finals is MUCH more complex and has little or nothing to do with the venue or location...
or even the QUALITY of teams and play involved......
as proven by the fact that even with local teams like Morton, Rochester, and Bloomington Central Catholic playing right there in Redbird Arena - the crowds were still small.

BUT - the attendance at all of the Sectionals & Supersectionals was outstanding!!! PACKED!!!! (hint - answer has to do with local interest)
How do you explain that?

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2015-03-17/it-takes-village.html

http://www.wjbc.com/images/featured_image/56/11/1426641169_ratio.png

http://www.riverbender.com/articles/images/30715121820-AltonEV1.JPG

http://basketball.dailyherald.com/storyimage/DA/20150318/sports/150318897/EP/1/1/EP-150318897.jpg&MaxW=600&maxH=450&updated=201503181840&noborder

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_xy4uIWAAESM1U.jpg:large

http://www.wpxnradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/10991232_10205764226926369_4503802362691768090_n-920x510.jpg

The explanation is a mix between the distances traveled, the costs involved - especially travel, hotels and parking - plus the pairings and Sectional placements that have so often made it hard for our local teams to get to state.
The best example I can give was the idio-tic placement back in 2009 of the two top ranked 2A team in the entire state - both in the same Canton Regional - along with three other ranked teams IVC, Farmington, & Canton.

In the end, and I know lefty remembers this, those teams beat the heck out of each other with tremendous OT games such that none of them made it to state.
Those 5 teams were probably all as good as the four team that made it to state...but if we'd have had any or a couple of those team at STATE the attendance would have looked like the other times we had Manual or PCS playing at STATE - totally packed Carver Arena.

Say what you want and that sectional assignments are hard but I say BS - the IHSA shoots themselves in the foot every year with ridiculous, biased sectional assignments every year that kill off the very teams that might be the best and would draw the best.
It is as it is. Games between Geneva & Bolingbrook are nice games but they won't draw any Central IL fans - those teams have to bring their own, and they don't. Normal Community was the only school that did themselves proud with their fan busses.

[Buesch N Chips]

How did the attendance differ from the last year of two class compared to the first year of four class?

[tornado]

having only four teams in town for the Finals definitely cuts greatly into the attendance compared to when the final EIGHT teams came to Peoria.
The 3A fans are not likely going to come to the late session for the 4A games.