Do you think competitive balance in high school sports is working in states that have plans to adjust those issues?

  • Indiana had one private school champion – 6 divisions
  • Illinois had four private school champions (*three finals featured just private schools) – 8 divisions
  • Ohio has three private schools in state finals this week, last year they had just one school and they won their division – 7 divisions

2018 Illinois State Finals

Class 4A Championship
*Elmhurst IC Catholic over Kankakee Bishop McNamara 31-21

Class 5A Championship
*Joliet Catholic Academy over Montini 35-27

Class 7A Championship
LaGrange Park  Nazareth Academy  over St. Charles  North  31-10

Class 8A Championship
*Wilmette Loyola Academy over Chicago  Brother Rice 13-3

Competitive balance is a question that is facing many states, three area states, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio all have some form of trying to overseeing that issue. In Ohio and Indiana their plans both include every member school in the formula, not just private schools.

In Illinois just private schools face that issue based on success of a program and a multiplier, public schools are completely exempt. So why did Illinois this past weekend still crown four private school football champions and *three of those four games had just private schools competing for a title.

Other states looking to make changes for competitive balance recently include, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alabama and Louisiana. Some of those states have even battled in the courtroom over this issue.

To this point in time no magic formula has been found that satisfies every states goals, but as long as there are private schools winning titles, there will be controversy about the issue.