(10-17-25) Two Illinois High School Association (IHSA) members, Roxana and Monticello, have submitted football playoff formats for membership consideration. The two proposals have a lot of the same changes to be considered.

It is getting to be a regular part of the IHSA proposal process over the past several years to update the current football playoff format…one plan even passed several years ago in 2018….only to be revoked in 2019.

This playoff format in Illinois seems to follow the current government shutdown situation in Washington DC.

History of playoff format proposals…

The Roxana proposal would be the expansion of the IHSA playoffs from the current structure of 256 qualifiers and increasing the total to 384 total qualifiers. 48 teams would qualify for each classification. In Class 7A and 8A, the top 16 seeds would receive a first-round bye. In Class 1A through Class 6A, the top eight seeds in both the north and south brackets would receive an opening round bye.

Qualifying for the playoffs would use the current format.

The proposal also suggests a “flex regional” system for scheduling.

The proposal states:

“The Flexed Regional Model restructures IHSA football into regionals of at least six teams, determined by geographic proximity and enrollment similarity. The system provides flexibility at enrollment boundaries, expands the playoffs, and standardizes scheduling across the state while respecting traditional rivalries.”

Chicago Public League schools are treated completely different then the rest of the state, which currently make up 56 schools of the playoff-eligible school list and 24 non-eligible programs, would be exempt from the regional format and allowed to keep their current structure. The CPL would continue to keep control of deciding which of its programs would be eligible for playoff consideration.

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With the additional round of playoffs the season would be extended for one more week, starting a week earlier.

If approved, the policy would go into effect next (2026) season with official regional recommendations expected to be provided in February or March by a Flex Committee working with the IHSA. The committee will consist of representatives from throughout the state and across all classifications and will include current athletic directors, IHSA staff, and select media.

The Monticello proposal differs from the Roxana proposal… it does not have a scheduling component. The conference structure would remain in place and teams would retain complete autonomy over scheduling decisions.