It happens this time every year without fail – the days start getting longer, people start looking ahead to Spring weather … and the naysayers come out of the woodwork whining about the IHSA four-class system in basketball.

Low attendance, watered-down post season and the inevitable comparisons with Kentucky and Indiana post seassons are but a few of the tired old examples given to discredit four-class basketball in Illinois. In short … blah … blah … blah.

Well, here’s some cheese to go with your whine.

When the IHSA implemented the four-class system back in 2008 I (like many) decided to take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach about the dramatic change that completely revamped the system that many of us had watched since 1972 when the one-class system was tossed aside and two-class basketball was started.

As an example of some of those changes, after 40 years of teams getting to the super sectional and being labeled ‘Sweet 16’, now a super appearance puts a team in the Elite 8 and a trip to Peoria puts a team in the Final Four where it once was the Elite Eight. And running two four-team tournaments side-by-side at Carver Arena took a little getting used to and more than a few looks at the IHSA website to try and figure out just exactly what class was playing when.

But again even with some new tricks for an old dog to learn, it was still a wait-and-see approach for me.

Proving that as an old dog I still have a few new tricks in me, I quickly became a fan of the four-class system in 2009 – the second year – when Woodlawn came home with a second place trophy, something that would never have happened if the two-class system was still in place. The same thing the next year when Sesser-Valier also made it to the title game before losing to Salt Fork. And again, this would not have happened in a two-class system. And Woodlawn then captured the 1A state title in 2012 and it was a victory for all of Southern Illinois, not just the small school from Jefferson County.

And aside from basketball what about the success of Goreville baseball, softball and basketball, Cobden softball, Benton track and many other schools that have reaped the rewards of a multi-class system. I dare any of the whiners to go to Zeigler-Royalton and tell them their Class 1A football title from 1982 is ‘watered-down.’ I would advise you to step back and duck after you say it.

And just as a side-note before I continue, I remember the same criticisms being tossed out back four decades ago when the IHSA scrapped the one-class system and went to two classes.  In fact, in the first year of the two class system Lawrenceville won the state title and Meridian got second, something that would not have happened otherwise.  And then Ridgway won in 1973 and Lawrenceville again in 1974 and Nashville in 1978.  Are those state titles tainted because a two-class system was implemented?  Do those state championship trophies proudly displayed at those schools mean less because it  was two classes instead of one?  Was those state titles less significant to the community and region because it was a two-class system?  Obviously, the answers are no, no and heck no!

But, what prompts this offering is a post I saw on Facebook Monday night that talked about the low attendance at the Eldorado Class 2A Boy’s Regional. Of course, the blame went to the four-class system. Perhaps instead of blaming the four-class system we should look first at the teams in the Eldorado Regional – Harrisburg, Johnston City, Benton, West Frankfort, Eldorado and Vienna. All total, the combined record for those six teams is 68-94. Now take away Harrisburg’s 26-1 record and the overall record of the other five teams is 42-93. That fact alone is the reason that attendance is down. How many people are going to pay nearly $4 a gallon for gas to drive through a rainstorm to Eldorado to see two games where the combined wins and losses in the two games are 13-42 and 16-37? Also, couple in that there are other regionals going and then add in that the girl’s Class 1A and Class 2A super sectional was being played at Salem.

I also find it interesting that many schools were holding their collective breath last year when the IHSA realigned some schools moving Herrin,  Massac County and Alton Marquette to Class 3A. Harrisburg was on the bubble and could have got the bump up to 3A but narrowly missed the cut. There was a tremendous amount of angst among coaches and fans from these schools about getting moved up a class knowing that it would be much more difficult to compete in Class 3A. And the same thing happens each year in the football playoffs when coaches and fans are hoping to move to a smaller class so that they can have a better chance to compete. But for some reason in basketball it’s easy to kick the stuffing out of Class 1A schools, who also want a level playing field, and blame them for every woe and problem associated with post season. You know, come to think of it … those high gas prices might be the fault of those darned 1A schools.

I have yet to hear one, single, solid reason why small schools in basketball should not be given the same chance for that ‘level playing field’ that is so important to coaches and fans when talking about possible realignment of ‘their school.’  And the exact same holds true for post season in football.  For those who say the system is watered down, then let’s go back to a one-class system and a Chicago school will win the title every year.  But, hey, we can still talk about those Cinderella teams in  Hebron in 1948 and Cobden in 1964.

While a few whiners and naysayers will persist I believe there are folks in Gallatin County, Goreville, Meridian, Woodlawn, Waltonville, Steeleville, Sesser-Valier, Okawville and many others who know that because of the four-class system they have a legitimate chance to be playing at Carver Arena in Peoria on March 8 and 9. At least the playing field is level – something that is important to a lot of sports fans when realignment is discussed for Class 2A schools or football playoffs are announced but unimportant in high school basketball.

I’m going to order up some more cheese for the whiners … the four-class system is here to stay.