Central Illinois Coach Shares Insights on IHSA's Latest Football Regulations

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In Illinois, high school football fans can expect a different scene next season as the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) rolls out significant updates to the season’s structure.

Among the changes, the season will be extended, and more teams will qualify for the playoffs. Previously, each of the eight classes saw 32 teams advance to the playoffs. However, beginning next season, that number will increase to 48 teams per class, allowing 384 teams to compete in the postseason.

These modifications have been approved by IHSA member schools, marking a new era for high school football playoffs in the state.

A football coach, whose team recently reached the State Championships, noted that these changes alter the traditional benchmarks of success.

Tony Reetz, the head football coach at Unity High School, remarked that while winning five games remains an achievement, it will no longer guarantee a playoff spot as it did before. Teams with fewer than five victories might now find themselves in playoff contention. Despite these adjustments, Reetz emphasized that Unity’s aspirations will remain unchanged.

With the new 15-week season, the IHSA is moving the dead week from around the first week of August to the week of the Fourth of July. That’s a week where teams can’t practice.

Reetz also said that not having the normal dead week in August makes the month of July that much more important. It was usually a month he kept it light for his team, but their summer prep will now look different with the season starting a week earlier.