Murphysboro’s Kegan Shields (22) looks for running room against Benton during the first quarter on Friday, Sept. 12, in Murphysboro.
The Illinois High School Association’s Legislative Commission voted Monday (Nov. 24) to advance 11 proposals amending the IHSA Constitution and By-laws to a vote of the general membership. The Commission voted after hearing feedback from member school personnel at 28 town meetings held in-person around the state during the month of November. Twelve total proposals will appear on the ballot, as the submitter of proposal 1 took advantage of a clause in the IHSA by-laws that allows a returning proposal to appear on the ballot if the IHSA receives petitions from 20% percent of member schools requesting to have it included on the following referendum ballot.
The ballot containing the proposals will be available to each member school’s official representative in the IHSA’s online Schools Center, beginning Monday, December 1. The deadline to submit the ballot is midnight, Monday, December 15. The ballots are expected to be tabulated, and the results posted on Tuesday, December 16. Schools may vote in favor, against, or no opinion on each proposal. A simple majority of yes or no votes cast will determine whether each proposal passes. Proposals that receive the simple majority vote from the IHSA membership will go into effect on July 1, unless another date is noted within the proposal. All language from the original 23 proposals can be found here.
Here is a summary of the proposals on the all-school ballot:
- Proposal 1: Expands the IHSA Board of Directors to include four additional seats reserved for a Superintendent, President, CEO or Head of School.
- Proposal 2: Allows IHSA to revise, amend, or supplement any ruling based upon information gathered during legal discovery. Also requires that all obtainable information be presented at the time of the appeal to the Hearing Board, while clarifying that the Executive Director cannot provide a new ruling following an appeal to the Hearing Board.
- Proposal 5: Prevents a cooperative agreement between two or more schools that exceeds 3,500 students from competing for team awards in the IHSA State Series.
- Proposal 10: Adds language to the IHSA recruitment by-laws that affirm that the rules apply to prospective student-athletes.
- Proposal 11: Provides students with the ability to compete in two non-school competitions in that sport during the high school season. A third non-school competition is also allowed if the competition is sanctioned by the National Governing Body of that sport. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect 30 days after being passed.
- Proposal 12: Allows each school to participate in one football combine that is free of charge to attendees. Schools may organize and transport up to 20 students to attend the combine. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect 30 days after being passed.
- Proposal 13: Establishes an IHSA “No Contact Week” that will annually fall during the week of the 4th of July week (June 29 – July 5, 2026). Schools may not practice, compete, hold open gyms, provide conditioning or weight training during this week. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect in July of 2026.
- Proposal 19: Moves the start of IHSA Football games up one week (eliminating Week 0 scrimmage) and adds 16 teams per classification to the playoffs.
- Proposal 21: Moves the boys volleyball season start and end date up one week. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect for the 2027 season.
- Proposal 22: Moves the start of the softball season up one week. If this proposal passes, it will go into effect for the 2026 season.
- Proposal 23: Moves the start and end of the girls wrestling season up two weeks.
- Proposal 24: Modifies the suspension for ejection of unsportsmanlike conduct by players in tackle football for flagrant contact to have a video review process to clarify the accuracy of the judgment call. IHSA Staff would review video sent by a school and make a recommendation to the Executive Director to affirm the call on the field or overturn and return a student to their next contest.
