IHSA will consider changing final state basketball schedule to give schools two days for finals

PEORIA, Ill. – Changes could be coming to the schedule for the Illinois High School Association boys and girls basketball state finals.

The sanctioning body’s basketball advisory committee is recommending these changes to provide teams that compete in the state finals with a two-day experience.

Currently, teams that lose in the state semifinals must return that evening to play a third-place game. Peoria Richwoods had to play two games on the same day in the Class 3A state finals this year, taking 3rd place.

Under the proposal, Classes 1A, 2A and 3A would have semifinals on Thursday and 3rd place games on Friday.

4A would have semifinals Friday and its third-place game Saturday.

All four classes would still have their championship matches on Saturday.

The full IHSA board will vote on the proposed changes next month.

The proposed schedule would be as follows:

Boys:

• Thursday – 1A semi-finals at 9:30 a.m., 2A semi-final at 2:00 p.m., 3A semi-final at 6:00 p.m.
• Friday – 1A-3A third place games at 9:30 a.m., 4A semifinals at 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday – 4A for third place at 9:30 a.m., 1A-2A championship games at 1:00 p.m., 3A-4A championship games at 6:00 p.m.

Girls:

• Thursday – 1A semi-finals at 9:30 a.m., 2A semi-final at 2:00 p.m., 3A semi-final at 6:00 p.m.
• Friday – 1A third place game at 9:30 a.m., 4A semifinals at 11:30 a.m., 2A-3A third place games at 6 p.m.
• Saturday – 4A for third place at 9:30 a.m., 1A-2A championship games at 1:00 p.m., 3A-4A championship games at 6:00 p.m.