INDIANAPOLIS — Two format recommendations for the new Class 5A and 6A football state tournaments were approved Tuesday at the monthly meeting of the IHSAA Executive Committee.

Those provisions included the creation of eight, four-team sectionals in each class along with a bye week for the two teams competing in each state championship game during the traditional semi-state week. Both were unanimously passed by the 16-member committee.

The tournament format and dates for Class A through 4A remain unchanged.
In recent weeks, the IHSAA surveyed the current largest 70 football playing schools and received 67 responses to a pair of choices. The survey results strongly favored the format of eight, four-team sectionals with 50 of the 67 respondents (75 percent) preferring that format. The bye week during semi-state was preferred by 44 of the 67 schools, or 66 percent.

The IHSAA Executive Committee approved adding a sixth class to the football state tournament during its June meeting. Class 6A will consist of the 32 largest schools while the next 32 largest will make up Class 5A. The smaller number of schools in both classes requires a five-week tournament series instead of the customary six weeks.

Certified enrollment figures to be used for classifying schools for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years will be released later this winter. Sectional assignments will be announced in the spring.

A rundown of sectional assignment dates and tournament schedules can be found at ihsaa.org.