The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the US state of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana based on the school's enrollment. The divisions, known as classes, are intended to foster fair competition among schools of similar sizes. A school ranked 3A is larger than a school ranked 1A, but not as large as a 6A-ranked school. Only football has 6 classes. Boys' basketball, girls' basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball are divided into four classes. Boys' and girls' soccer will be divided into two classes for the first time for the 2011â€"12 school year. All other sports compete in a single class.
Structure
See also: Indiana High School Athletic Conferences Page 1, 2, 3, or IHSAA Conference-Independent Schools
The IHSAA is divided into three board of director districts: Northern, Central, and Southern. For the State Tournament, there are two divisions. The Northern District is composed of 21 of Indiana's Counties consisting the northern third of Indiana. The Southern District is composed of the remaining 71 counties and includes all of the Indianapolis area except Boone, Hamilton, and Madison Counties. It is from these two districts, the top two teams meet at the state finals usually held in or around Indianapolis.
In the regular season, most of the member-schools' sports activities are governed by one, sometimes two or even three of Indiana's 51 athletic conferences. Some conferences only offer one sport while the school participates in a primary conference for all other sports. Other schools maintain independence in certain sports, like football or basketball.
Some smaller sports are governed by other organizations in Indiana. For example, boys' ice hockey is under the auspices of the Indiana State High School Hockey Association (ISHSHA). High school hockey in Indiana is concentrated in the northern portion of the state, around Indianapolis, plus a few other areas, such as Columbus and Evansville.
Primary Athletic Conferences
Secondary Sport-Specific Conferences
- Mid-Indiana Football
- Southwest Seven Football
Independents
- IHSAA Independents
See also
- Hoosier Hysteria
- Largest high school gyms in the United States
References
External links
- Indiana High School Athletic Association
- IHSAA School Directory - Part I
- IHSAA School Directory - Part II
