Late last year, the IHSA passed a referendum that added 16 teams per class to the high school football playoffs. 

Argenta-Oreana Athletic Director Mike Williams explains that while the new playoff expansion may help the Bombers make postseason appearances in the future, he feels that teams with a less favorable record will not like the change if they have to face stronger programs in the first round. 

The Legislative Commission held a special meeting on Tuesday night to approve the football practice start date to August 5th, five days earlier than in seasons past. 

The IHSA is introducing a bye week for the top 16 teams per class at the start of the playoffs. Williams sees both sides of this and notes that some teams may want to rest their players and get healthy, while others will want to keep their momentum rolling and not have the break. 

A team that qualifies for the bye week will have a season that is two weeks longer than in previous years, and Williams fears that could cause more athletes to face burnout. 

Area athletic directors and coaches have had mixed feelings about the announcement from the IHSA.