Proposed basketball sectional realignment could impact area teams

With fall sports heading into full swing, basketball seems a long way off. But there is news from the Indiana High School Athletic Association that could have a significant impact on area basketball teams and sectionals.

The final proposal to alter the state basketball tournaments was presented to the IHSAA Executive Committee for its consideration. The proposal was a result of two years of comprehensive study by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) in cooperation with the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA) and the IHSAA.

Under the proposal - yet to be voted on - the largest 64 schools by enrollment would comprise a new Class 4A with 16 four-team sectionals. The next-largest schools that are currently in 4A would drop down to Class 3A.

Class 3A, 2A, and A would have approximately 114 schools in each class distributed among 16 sectionals with seven or eight teams in each sectional.

The Indianapolis Star's article on the proposal bore the headline "It's more a tweak than an upheaval."

IndyStar sports reporter Kyle Neddenreip summarized his article by saying, "It seems like a relatively minor change for the amount of time and energy devoted to the issue these past two years. Those wishing for wholesale changes will likely be disappointed. Or it could be met with a shrug of the shoulders."

But as ESPN College GameDay co-host Lee Corso is famous for saying, "Not so fast, my friend." Two provisions of the proposal jump out at me immediately as potentially having a significant effect.

Currently each class is comprised of approximately 100 schools. With 114 schools per class under the new proposal, obviously the 14 smallest-enrollment 2A schools would drop down to Class A. And with most of the basketball sectionals now having five or six teams, someone will certainly be "realigned."

I asked Linton-Stockton Athletic Director Charlie Karazsia for his thoughts on the proposal and the potential effects it may have on our area teams and sectionals. Here's what Charlie had to say:

"First of all, there is no doubt we will remain in 2A. Our enrollment is 390, up from 325 a year ago. That would place us as a "middle" 2A school. But the other thing you have to look at - where are the other schools at? What are their enrollments?

"I loved it when we had the sectional at Switz City. When we switched to class basketball - and I was huge proponent of it - but that first sectional was Tuesday night down at Paoli. And I thought, holy cow, this isn't sectional basketball. We lost all that school enthusiasm. Kids used to wear hats, get dressed up.

"I'm hoping we can get some more local flavor in this than we maybe have had in the past. We've had a pretty good sectional at North Knox the past few years. First back-to-back sectional championships since 1975, when you played, Swing. You'd like to get it to where it's competitive throughout the sectional.

"You'd like to have more of that local flavor, instead of traveling all over. Our sectional's pretty close right now. But it could be bad. It just depends. We may have to travel like to a Mitchell or Paoli. Just the finances alone, the travel expenses - it cuts into your gate. If this passes, they (the IHSAA) may say like it or not, this is what we have."

The final proposal will be voted on at the next scheduled Executive Committee meeting Oct. 2. If approved, the proposal and realignment would be effective with the 2015-2016 school year.

Kyle, I'm going to bull a Bill Lumbergh (Office Space) on you and um, yeah, I'm going to have to um, disagree with you on that a little bit, yeah. If this proposal is approved, it will certainly create "upheaval."

I've examined this proposal from every conceivable angle, and any realignment will certainly have significant implications for someone. By default, going from five or six teams per sectional to seven or eight teams, someone is going to have to move. And just as certainly, some current sectional sites will cease to exist.

It's pure conjecture at this point - since the proposal has yet to be voted on by the IHSAA Executive Committee - but I've considered a couple of scenarios involving out area sectionals Class 2A Sectional 47 at North Knox and Class A Sectional 57 at White River Valley.

The inherent problem with going from, say, six to eight teams is, where do those additional teams come from? The only way to accomplish that restructuring is to break up an existing sectional.

I can envision a worst-case scenario where the WRV sectional would be eliminated. Bloomfield and WRV would be moved to the North Daviess Sectional. Shakamak and Clay City could likely be sent farther north - possibly as far north as North Vermillion. It's unimaginable to me to even consider the possibility that there would not be a sectional at Switz City, where they have hosted all but one year since the gym was opened for tournament play in the spring of 1956.

The Switz City Sectional has been such a big part of our history and our fabric. You would lose that "local flavor" as Charlie well stated.

Considering the 2A Sectional at North Knox, again, who moves and which sectional stays intact. I fear a return to the days of Linton and Eastern Greene traveling to Paoli or perhaps even farther for a sectional. IHSAA, a 90-mile trip for a Tuesday night sectional game just isn't feasible for the fans and especially for the students. As Charlie said, "This isn't sectional basketball."

Keep in mind, this is all purely speculation at this point. The proposal has yet to be voted on and it may or may not be approved. But if it is approved one thing is certain, someone will be adversely impacted.

Terry Schwinghammer is a sports writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached at (812) 847-4487, ext. 20.