Illinois high school football playoff format stays put after district proposal gets rejected

CHICAGO - The postseason for high school football teams in Illinois will remain in its current format after a district football proposal was voted down by schools in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

The new format would have divided the state’s football-playing schools into 64 eight-team districts, eight per class.

Schools would have played seven district games in weeks three through nine and would have been able to schedule any opponent for non-district games in weeks one and two.

IHSA administrators would've been in charge of drawing up the district alignments based on location for the 2024-25 school year. There were 272 schools that voted in favor of it, while 379 were against it. 

Most schools in the Chicago area were not in favor of the district's proposal, especially in the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference. The new format likely would have ended many long-running rivalries.

There was a proposal, however, that did pass 410 to 232. Schools can now conduct preseason scrimmages against other schools.

The games can be held the weekend before the regular season starts.