The capacity crowd at Lantz Arena for Tuesday night’s Class A boy’s basketball Supersectional game between Teutopolis and Moweaqua Central A&M witnessed a historic event.

Next year, the IHSA will switch to four classes in boy’s basketball and other sports, away from the current two-class system. Other sports, such as track and field, will switch to three classes.

Teutopolis head coach Ken Crawford (above), is retiring after this year, so he doesn’t have to worry about the switch to four classes.

Here are three reasons why we disagree with the switch.

1. Everybody’s a winner – Moving to four classes will crown a state champion in four classes. This diminishes the actual feeling of winning a state championship. Athletics, even at the high school level, isn’t meant to please everyone. How will the four different state champions make the high school athletes feel like they accomplished anything?

2. No clear plan – When and where are all the four state tournaments going to be played? No definitive plan has been set in place, which is inexcusable. Right now, the girls’ state basketball tournament is at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena. The boys’ state tournament is in Peoria at Carver Arena. These tournaments are held on four consecutive weekends, starting usually in late February. What’s going to happen next year?

3. Last of a dying breed – Illinois likes to boast it has some of the best high school basketball in the nation. Indiana used to say same the same thing, but not much is heard of these days ever since the Hoosier State switched to four classes, also.