This Fall (in 2026) members of the IHSA are considering whether to reduce the number of games teams can play during their seasons in the following sports…
Volleyball from 35 to 31
Baseball & Softball from 35 to 31
Flag Football from 25 to 20
Boys & Girls Soccer from 25 to 22
Girls & Boys Basketball from 31 to 28
This month, the IHSA members are in the process of debating which proposals will be on a ballot for membership to actually vote on, later this winter.
Seeing this proposal made me consider what the history of the IHSA in regards to basketball scheduling has been...
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| 1944 State Tourney- Taylorville 45-0 |
No Rule- Each School’s Decision
If you look back at the early history of IHSA basketball, it is obvious that each school could decide how many games they would play each season.
In the 1920 Centralia played 33 games, while Champaign played only 14 games.
In 1944 Taylorville won the State Championship with a perfect 45-0 record, while Rockford West played only 16 regular season games.
Coach’s Preference
In the 1930’s thru the 1940’s, legendary coaches like Arthur Trout at Centralia, Ernie Eveland at Paris, Dolph Stanley at Taylorville, Mark Peterman at Springfield/Canton, and Duster Thomas at Pinckneyville all chose to play lots of games. As these schools and these coaches became successful, more and more schools tended to copy them and schedule more games.
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| Ernie Eveland-Paris |
Each Part of the State Had a Norm
Teams in southern Illinois played more games than schools in northern Illinois and Chicago. Schools like Freeport, Rockford West, Elgin, and Joliet went to State different years in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s while playing just 14-18 regular season games.
In the meantime, schools like Centralia, Paris, Vandalia, Olney, and Pinckneyville were playing 25-35 games during the regular season.
Different Approach in the ‘50’s
Two of the more successful coaches in the ‘50’s were John Thiel at Galesburg and Alex Saudargas at Rockford West each chose to play a more limited schedule.
Thiel chose not to play in any tourneys during the season, choosing to use that time to scout.
1961- The IHSA Sets Limit
Based on the results in the State Tourney, it appears that 1961 was the year that the IHSA set season limitations.
The rule that would stay in effect for several decades was that teams could play 18 games plus 2 tourneys, 19 games plus 1 tourney, or 21 games with no tourneys.
Most schools chose to play 19 games and 1 tourney, so they played a total of 23 games during the regular season.
Small schools played 18 games and 2 tourneys, choosing to play a tourney at Christmas and a County Tourney later in the year. So many of these schools were playing 25 games.
In the 1970’s, many schools started Thanksgiving Tourneys. So by the mid-‘70’s, most schools were playing 18 games and 2 tourneys, or 25 games.
JV Games
In the ‘60’s, ‘70’s, and ‘80’s, most schools not only played varsity and frosh-soph games, they played JV games.
Depending on the school, the JV games might be some combination of junior and seniors who didn’t get opportunities to play in varsity games, and/or sophomores who needed more experience. Even some small schools and some girls programs played JV games.
So while the varsity was playing 25 games, they were also playing 10-12 JV games.
The JV games were dropped at many schools in the ‘90’s.
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| Derril Kipp- Maine West |
Derril Kipp & Girls Basketball Led to Change
In the 1990’s Derril Kipp was a pioneer in developing 5 game tourneys. He also developed non-brackets, shootout type schedules with 5 game tourneys at Thanksgiving. And also huge 5 team shootouts that would go for a month or longer.
Behind Kipp’s initiative, top girls teams in Illinois began to play 16 games and then have 3 tourneys with 4-5 games in each tourney. As a result, most girls teams by 2000 were playing 30 games.
This enabled schools to begin to schedule many desirable non-conference opponents. Kipp’s initiative resulted in more top 20 girls teams playing each other.
By the late ‘90’s, this scheduling method allowed downstate Galesburg to play schools like New Trier, Buffalo Grove, Maine South, Chicago Maria, and Waubonsie Valley.
Boys basketball followed in the footsteps, and by the 2000’s most schools began to play 30-31 games each season.
No Tourney Required, 31 Game Limit
In the late 2010’s, it was decided to break with the traditional limit based on a combination of tourneys and regular games. It was set that teams could play 31 games in whatever fashion they wanted to schedule them.
If a team wanted to play 14 games and 5 tourneys, they could as long as the total was not over 31. if a team wanted to play 31 games and no tourney, they could.
If a team wanted to play fewer games, they could play fewer games. Thom Sigel at Rock Island was highly successful but he often chose to play fewer games than the 31.
Other States Approach
The states around Illinois play significantly fewer games. The maximum regular season number of games are-
Wisconsin- 24
Indiana- 22
Iowa- 21
Michigan-22
Some of the states who traditionally are better known as “basketball states”, such as Texas, Florida, and California play schedules more similar to Illinois.
If you surveyed coaches and athletes in other states, you would find they would be envious of Illinois’ chance to play more game.
What’s Best for Players, Best for Administrators?
The schools who are proposing reducing the limit, argue that it is best for players. They claim fewer games produce less physical and emotional stress, allow for more practice time, and allow for more time to work on skills vs game prep.
While there may be some logic to these arguments, cutting three games just means 3 more practices for players. It is hard to argue that it will provide significant difference in skill development for players. If the priority is more skill development, the rules about off-season contact could be changed to create more opportunities.
One argument of the schools making the proposal is to reduce the number of weeks teams are playing 3-5 games in a week. Their implication is that with a 31 game schedule, schools are playing multiple weeks of 3-5 games. Unless the coach and administrators mismanage the scheduling, this just is not true.
Presently basketball seasons are 14 weeks. If a team plays 2 games per week, that gets them to 28 games. During Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations is when schools choose to play in tourneys. Teams often play in a 3 game Thanksgiving Tourney and then a 4 game Christmas Tourney. So the math would be- 12 weeks of 2 games (24 games), one week at T’giving of 3 games, and one week at Xmas of 4 games.
So the 31 game schedule, considering the normal T’giving and Christmas tourneys, is set up so players would only play twice a week, except at Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations.
Individual coaches and schools do choose to play fewer than 31 games. Often it is a case that they look at their schedule and realize they can’t fit games into the schedule in a logical and sensible manner.
There is no doubt that some athletic administrators would like to see many sports, including basketball to play less games. Playing fewer games would mean the AD’s would have to do less work to schedule games, and do less work supervising games.
The classic example of the advantage to administrators is found in Iowa. Decades ago in response to the an energy crisis, Iowa elected to eliminate all Christmas Tourneys. After the energy crisis was over, the administrators did not bring back the Christmas Tourneys. The Iowa argument was to allow for family time for players. This sounds good but the teams don’t take off 10 days or two weeks off, and then fight to get back in shape. The coaches and players continue to practice over the break, the administrators just don’t have tourneys to supervise.
With the loss of the JV games in school’s schedules, the added varsity games have allowed schedules to include more opportunities for games where “reserves” have found action.
My Conclusion
Illinois going back to the 1930’s has been considered a leader in terms of the development of basketball players. I intend no offense to some other states, but in terms of basketball, Illinois doesn’t want to model itself after Iowa and Wisconsin.
If coaches and administrators at a school feel that a reduced schedule is best for their players, they should vote accordingly. There vote would be justified.
If coaches and administrators at a school feel that a reduced schedule is best for them as coaches and administrators, and makes their job easier, then I don’t think voting to reduce the schedules for coaches’ or administrators’ convenience makes the vote justified.
Personally, I would recommend that the schools would vote not to reduce any of the schedule limits.
My hope would be that the administrators who vote on this and the other IHSA proposals would take the time to sit down and discuss the proposals with their coaches, and find out the coach’s perspective. I am not saying that the coaches should make the decision but the coach’s input should always be sought out by administrators.
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