Commissioner Paul Neidig

(10-10-22) Indiana continues to let ping-pong balls decide match-ups in state tournaments. Yesterday in the (blind) football draw there were numerous match-ups that should never have happened.

In the opening segment of the online broadcast IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig talks about the success factor and said –

‘we want to make the tournament as fair as possible’

So why does Indiana let ping-pong balls decide the tournament brackets? What is the reasoning behind this? Why avoid seeding? Not once during the parings show did the ping-pong ball selection process come up in the discussion…so why does this continue to go on?

Time to seriously address the issue with input from the IHSAA staff, school administrators, coaches and fans, without bypassing why it is done? If the success factor works, some kind of seeding process would be the next move (long overdo).

6A
Avon (1-7) Pike (1-7)

3A
Bellmont (0-8) Garrett (1-7)

combined record of 1-15 match-up

2A
Manchester (1-7) Whitko (0-8)

  • Tell City (2-6) at Crawford County (0-8)
  • Perry Central (7-1) at Evansville Mater Dei (6-2)

1A

  • Adams Central (8-0) at Southwood (6-2)
  • Tri-County (1-7) at Tri-Central (2-6)
  • Carroll (Flora) (8-0) at North White (5-2)
  • North Decatur (8-0) at Tri (7-1)
  • Cambridge City Lincoln (0-8) at Winner Game 1 gets a bye

0-8 team gets a bye, while a match-up in the bracket features an 8-0 – 7-1 match-up

  • South Putnam (7-1) at Indianapolis Lutheran (8-0)
  • Cloverdale (1-7) at Winner Game 1

#1 Indianapolis Lutheran with the longest consecutive game winning streak in the state, faces 7-1 South Putnam in an opening round game. While 1-7 Cloverdale gets a bye?

Courtesy –

John Harrell’s Football Site – Records At Time of the draw

Did you know…

Ping-Pong balls should be used for –

  • bingo games
  • beer pong
  • table tennis