MULTIPLE DROPDOWN TEAMS
When there are multiple dropdowns at the Class Supersectional level, they will be seeded -- a team that reached the Open Regional final before losing would be seeded higher than one that lost its first Open Regional game. If another "tie-breaker" is needed, a team that had to win three games to win its Open Sectional would be seeded higher than a team that drew a bye and neded to win only two games. If still deadlocked, the IHSAA would decide the seeding, perhaps on a coin toss conducted via conference call.
Here are the possible scenarios for the Class Supersectionals:
-- Zero dropdowns -- The Class Sectional winner advances to the Class Regional.
-- One dropdown -- The dropdown plays the Class Sectional winner for the berth in the Class Regional.
-- Two dropdowns -- The Class Sectional winner advances to the Class Regional. The two dropdowns face each other for a berth in the Class Superregional (this would be known as a "carryover" team).
EXAMPLE: Miahawaka Marian, a Class 3-A Sectional 19 team, wins the South Bend Open Sectional but loses in the championship game of the Michigan City Open Regional, while Plymouth, from the same Class 3-A Sectional field, wins the Plymouth Open Sectional but loses in an afternoon game at the Elkhart Open Regional. Meanwhile, John Glenn wins Class 3-A Sectional 19, in which neither Marian nor Plymouth competed. In this scenario, the Class Supersectional game would have Plymouth (lower seeded dropdown) facing John Glenn for the Class Regional berth; Mishawaka Marian (higher seeded dropdown) would advance directly to the Class Superregional as a "carryover").
-- Three dropdowns -- The lowest seeded dropdown would play the Class Sectional winner for the Class Regional berth; the two others dropdowns play each other for the right to advance to the Class Superregional (carryover).
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The same seeding formula would apply for multiple dropdowns at the superregional level. A team that lost in the Open Semistate final would be seeded higher than one that lost in the Open Semistate semifinals, etc., etc. An added factor at this level could be a "carryover" team from a Class Supersectional. A dropdown will be seeded higher than a carryover.
Here are the possible scenarios for the Class Superregionals:
-- Zero dropdowns or carryovers -- The Class Regional winner advances to the Class Semistate.
-- One dropdown or one carryover -- The dropdown or carryover plays the Class Regional winner for the berth in the Class Semistate.
-- A total of two dropdowns and carryovers -- The Class Regional winner advances to the Class Semistate. The two dropdowns/carryovers play each other for the right to advance to the Class Supersemistate (carryover).
-- A total of three dropdowns and carryovers -- The lowest seeded of the dropdowns/carryovers would play the Class Regional winner for a Class Semistate berth; the other two would play each other for the right to advance to the Class Supersemistate (carryover).
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Seeding for the Class Supersemistate level would be a bit different. The single dropdown (an Open State Finals loser) would be seeded higher than a carryover.
If there are both a dropdown and a carryover, an entirely different arrangement will be made to prevent that supersemistate winner from having a decided disadvantage in rest before its State Finals.
Here are the possible scenarios for the Class Supersemistates:
-- One dropdown or one carryover -- The dropdown or carryover plays the Class Semistate winner for the berth in the Class State Finals.
-- One dropdown and one carryover -- In two Tuesday night games, the carryover would play the Class Semistate winner and the dropdown would play the semistate winner from the opposite semistate; those winners would be the two State Finalists on Saturday. (Thus, neither has an advantage).
To view the results of some research on the finals 20 seasons of the Open (traditional) Tournament (1978-1997), intended to show the infrequency with which the more radical scenarios would occur, click on the following link:
