During its final meeting of the 2022-23 school year today, the IHSAA Executive Committee approved a rule that changes the way schools are classified in four-class sports. The Executive Committee voted to amend the original rule proposal from the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA) that would have changed how schools were classified in four-class sports by using fixed enrollment figures. Instead, by a 13-4-1 count, the Committee opted to maintain a percentage-based system and adjusted it to a 20-25-25-30 ratio.

Beginning with the next reclassification cycle, Class 4A will include the largest 20% of schools, Class 3A will be the next 25%, Class 2A the next 25% and Class A the smallest 30% of schools. Since 1997-98, the rule has required equally distributing schools (25%) among the four classes. “The Board of Directors recognized the concerns brought to us by the IIAAA which were the enrollment gap in Class 4A and the smaller schools that were being moved up to a larger class without a significant enrollment change due to new member schools joining the Association,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig. “This change also addresses a desire for schools to be in the same class in baseball, basketball, softball, and volleyball but it also give us an opportunity to adjust those percentages in the future if necessary.” The next two-year reclassification cycle begins with the 2024-25 school year with the certified enrollment figures reported to the Indiana Department of Education from the upcoming school year being used. Those will be released next winter.

Additionally, classifying the four-class sports will be based on the entire membership total and not only those schools participating in a given sport effectively keeping sectional alignments similar across each sport. The original proposal had been submitted by Neidig on behalf of the IIAAA but had been tabled by the Board of Directors for further study at its May 1 meeting and was brought back for action at today’s meeting. Tournament Success Factor Two proposals affecting the Tournament Success Factor (Rule 2-5) that had been tabled in May were also brought back for action. A proposal from Board member and Barr-Reeve Principal Jeff Doyle was approved after being amended. New language requires that a school’s performance and points accumulated in a twoyear span will be looked at annually beginning in 2024-25.

Currently, points accumulated in a specific two-year window determine whether a team moves up or stays up one or more classes. Going forward, data from the previous two years will be reviewed and considered annually before making a determination. A proposal from Yorktown Principal Stacey Brewer that called for schools that were playing in a higher class to drop down a class if they accumulated three points or less and those scoring four or more points to remain in that higher class, failed to receive support.

Following an exciting inaugural season in broadcasting over 200 live sporting events in the Grant County area, the Action Sports Network is proud to announce that year number two will be bigger and better than ever.  Action Sports Network and its parent company Eighty8 Entertainment is teaming up with Dream Weaver Marketing’s Mi-Bash Sports Network to bring listeners games from Grant, Wabash, and Miami Counties.  

            The Mi-Bash Sports Network has been the leader in the Mi-Bash area in sports for 20 years and it only made sense for the two leaders in live local sports coverage in their respective counties to join forces to give listeners in all three counties not only the most coverage but the best coverage. 

            “This has been a dream of mine to bring Wabash and Miami counties every game possible and with this partnership we are able to do just that.” Wade Weaver, owner of Dream Weaver Marketing said.  Andy McCord, owner of Eighty8 Entertainment said, “When we started Action Sports Network, our goal was to grow after our first year and we are so excited to partner with the Mi-Bash Sports Network and bring our listeners more games and coverage that will be hard to beat in the entire state of Indiana in terms of number of games and quality of broadcasts.”  

            This is not the first time Weaver and McCord have been together.  McCord worked for Weaver from 1995-1997 when Weaver owned WLHN in Elwood and WERK in Muncie.  McCord later worked for Weaver from 2007-2014 in Wabash and Peru.  Now both serving as owners they are teaming up again.

            “It is all about synergy.  We have the terrestrial radio signals with 101.9 and 105.9 and they have the internet listeners.  Working together made sense.”  Weaver added.  This is only the beginning of growth for the Action Sports Network we are also planning to add two to three more schools in the area to give more coverage to schools that don’t receive the coverage they deserve.”  McCord said.

            The partnership will cover football and volleyball in fall, Boys and Girls Basketball in the winter, and Baseball and softball in the spring.  Games will be broadcast on the Action Sports Network at www.actionsportsnetwork.live, or on the free APP in the App Store or Google Play store, 101.9 Rocks FM, and 105.9 The Bash FM.  “We have had so much support over my 20 plus years in the Mi-Bash area from our sponsors and are looking for continued support from businesses and individuals who love high school sports.” Weaver said.   McCord added, “One of the biggest keys for us to do this and bring all the schools the coverage is having support from local businesses who want to join us in our journey to get these kids names on the air and show them the support they deserve and treat them like rock stars.”

            The partnership also plans to include a Friday night Post Game Show for listeners, Coaches, players, and fans can call in and talk about their favorite team.  Plus, each group will host a coaches show for their respective counties. 

There is a significant rule change coming to high school basketball next season.

The National Federation of State High School Association announced Monday it approved a change to eliminate the one-and-one free throw bonus and set new foul limits each quarter.

Teams will now shoot two free throws for common fouls once reaching the bonus. Previously, teams shot one-and-one the seventh, eighth and nine team fouls (non-shooting) of each half before getting two shots on the 10th foul of the half. Now, the fouls will reset each quarter and a team will reach the bonus once an opponent commits five fouls.

The rule is similar to the NBA, where teams shoot two free throws on the fifth foul each quarter. Women’s college basketball changed from halves to four quarters in 2015 and also adopted two free throws on the fifth foul each quarter. Men’s college basketball has the one-and-one bonus at the seventh team foul of each half and two shots at the 10^th foul and beyond.