IHSA email

[mr_basque]

i received an interestingemail from my AD today. it was a lengthy discussion on scholastic bowl teams attending college tournaments, did anyone else receive it? I will try to attach it later today.

[Stained Diviner]

The rules have changed a little regarding Illinois teams playing against college teams. Starting very soon, any Illinois high school team playing in a tournament that includes college teams cannot receive any support from their school, where support basically means entry fees, transportation, coaching, and organization. Students also are not allowed to use their school name, though they can use their own personal names and are not banned from such competitions.

[Down and out in Quintana Roo]

coaching

What does that mean exactly? Their coach is not allowed to attend? Or is not allowed to give any "coaching" during the day?

[Aaron Goldfein]

Just out of curiosity, what would happen if a team's quizbowl program simply decided to no longer be affiliated with IHSA. Would the only loss be participation in the state series (and Masonics, because they require IHSA membership) or would there be other penalties for the schools athletic teams or something?

[Charles Martel]

I may not be correct, but I believe that you'd have to unaffiliate with the IHSA for all sports, which is not something that is desirable.

I'm curious to see if any schools make separate "scholastic bowl" and "quiz bowl" clubs.

Also, what effect will this have on moderator discounts for high school teams playing at college tournaments?

[Irreligion in Bangladesh]

I'm curious to see if any schools make separate "scholastic bowl" and "quiz bowl" clubs.

You're misreading Bylaw 2.050.

The point of 2.050 is to note that representatives of member schools cannot compete against colleges in anything, ever, no matter if it's an IHSA sport or a facsimile of an IHSA thing (like quizbowl or 3-on-3 basketball or a long drive competition) or a completely unrelated thing (like a Call of Duty tournament). If IMSA is fielding a team, it had better be against IHSA schools (or else using the various loopholes to allow in other high schoolers). The point of the IHSA isn't to play against colleges or middle schools; it's to play against high schools. Think of it this way -- resources spent competing against colleges are resources not spent competing against high schools, and that runs counter to the point of the IHSA (improving high school competition).

The interpretation of 2.050 that we got today says that, of course, the IHSA can't (and doesn't want or need to) have jurisdiction over every single competitive event ever. 4-on-4 quizbowl is a thing the IHSA doesn't care about holding jurisdiction over, much the same way the IHSA doesn't care about ICTM contests or WYSE or bar trivia or whatever. They have no interest in running them; the current system works very fine for running those events. The only thing they want to make sure of - because it was broken earlier this year at ACF Fall - is that people aren't calling themselves IHSA schools if they're playing against colleges (or old people or elementary schools or whatever), because that's a thing that IHSA schools have a general responsibility to not do (according to 2.050).

Essentially, IMSA and Loyola playing ACF Fall last November isn't allowed to happen again but Tristan Willey playing ACF Fall was fine - and would be fine in the future - because Macomb didn't help him do it at all and he didn't play under the name of Macomb HS. If you start a "quizbowl club" and get a coach and school funding, they still can't play college teams because the school is helping you, and your school shouldn't be helping you play college teams.

If you start a "quizbowl club" that's completely unofficial and doesn't get school recognition and doesn't get a faculty advisor and doesn't get funding and nobody employed by the school ever assists you in going to tournaments in any way and you drive yourselves to the tournament and pay entry fees out of pocket and call yourselves anything other than your school name --- that is, essentially, you find some friends that like hard quizbowl and you go play it yourselves --- enjoy!

[AKKOLADE]

Essentially, IMSA and Loyola playing ACF Fall last November isn't allowed to happen again but Tristan Willey playing ACF Fall was fine - and would be fine in the future - because Macomb didn't help him do it at all and he didn't play under the name of Macomb HS. If you start a "quizbowl club" and get a coach and school funding, they still can't play college teams because the school is helping you, and your school shouldn't be helping you play college teams.

If you start a "quizbowl club" that's completely unofficial and doesn't get school recognition and doesn't get a faculty advisor and doesn't get funding and nobody employed by the school ever assists you in going to tournaments in any way and you drive yourselves to the tournament and pay entry fees out of pocket and call yourselves anything other than your school name --- that is, essentially, you find some friends that like hard quizbowl and you go play it yourselves --- enjoy!

So, students from the same school would be able to bond together & form/play as the "Quiz Bro-wls Club" and not get blasted?

[Stained Diviner]

Yes

[Marble-faced Bristle Tyrant]

Think of it this way -- resources spent competing against colleges are resources not spent competing against high schools, and that runs counter to the point of the IHSA (improving high school competition).

[and other remarks about "school funding"]

What about teams that use their own money raised by hosting tournaments and other fundraising?

[Irreligion in Bangladesh]

Think of it this way -- resources spent competing against colleges are resources not spent competing against high schools, and that runs counter to the point of the IHSA (improving high school competition).

[and other remarks about "school funding"]

What about teams that use their own money raised by hosting tournaments and other fundraising?

Good point to bring up - it may or may not be worth asking McGraw about it. I can see it going like this -- schools that host tournaments use the benefits of the school (i.e. the building, the custodial staff, etc.) to earn fundraising money from tournaments, so using that money on non-school related events (which college competitions are) isn't appropriate. If students were to fundraise on their own (door-to-door sales, asking for donations, whatever, just not done with school or coach organization), that money could then be used because it's not tied in with the school.

Because it's only going to affect a very small number of events, asking players to foot the bill on those events is probably not the end of the world; and if they need money, they can always write middle school questions for NAQT :)