BLOOMINGTON - Vacation plans have been adjusted this summer because of high fuel prices. The cost at the pump will alter some destinations in the school year as well.

Citing the rising fuel prices, the Illinois High School Association board of directors has approved a format change designed to reduce the distance teams and fans travel in early rounds of postseason play.

In bracketed team sports, teams outside of the Chicago area will be assigned directly to regional tournaments, based on proximity to one another, rather than being placed in sectional complexes or sub-sectionals.

Sports affected are boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, girls volleyball and boys and girls soccer. IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said the change will save schools money and make it easier for fans to follow their teams.

"I think the folks who are writing the checks are going to be happy about it," Hickman said. "The diesel costs and gas costs have had a dramatic effect on school budgets. I also think moms and dads will be happy they'll be able to drive closer to watch the regional.

"I suspect some of the coaches won't be as happy about it."

Seeding the sectional complexes and sub-sectionals decreased the likelihood of the best teams meeting in the regional.

Regionals based on proximity - the format used as recently as 2003 in Class A - could result in two or more of a sectional's top teams playing in the same regional. It is the tradeoff for saving on travel.

"Honestly, there are some negatives, but there are far more positives," Hickman said. "I think there is something to be said for those natural kinds of rivalries. While you may be playing somebody again (in the regional), it's somebody there is more community interest in."

The result likely will be a boost in regional attendance.

Pontiac girls basketball coach Gary Brunner suspects that factored into what he called "a good move."

"I think most of us realized there had to be some kind of change," Brunner said. "Regionals were not very well attended in many areas."

Central Catholic's basketball team traveled to Riverton for the Class 2A regional, a 1-hour, 15-minute drive.

Coach Jason Welch said given the price of gas, fans will be more likely to attend the regional if they only have to travel 10 to 20 miles.

"I think you'll get more local interest and a little more flavor, so I don't think you're going to play to an empty gym," Welch said. "The bad news is teams who might be deserving (of sectional berths) may have to play awfully good basketball just to get out of the regional."

Welch's Saints eventually met Corn Belt Conference rival Olympia in the finals of the Petersburg Porta Sectional.

Now?

"I told Jason (Tuesday), 'The days of us seeing each other in the sectional final could be over,' " Olympia coach Gerry Thornton said. "I have mixed emotions really.

"There's no electricity in a gym like two rivals who are a few miles apart playing in a regional championship. The flip side of that is you're not going to get the best teams in the sectional. I sound like a politician in an election year."

Thornton doesn't have to look far for an example of why change occurred. The Olympia volleyball team traveled nearly two hours to Macomb for its regional.

"That was ridiculous," he said. "This will eliminate the driving."

Ridgeview basketball coach Rodney Kellar said the economy and tight school budgets mean "travel is going to be in the forefront of everybody's plans." Yet, he fears regionals could become "conference tournaments."

"I thought the system we had kind of evened the playing field because you split up some of the top teams," Kellar said. "I guess there are pros and cons. You just kind of go with the flow."

Prairie Central's softball team went to Hoopeston for its 2A regional, which coach Ryan Shiflett said was a 1-hour, 20-minute drive. The Hawks won the regional and did not play Corn Belt rival Olympia until the sectional final.

Shiflett said he understands the need to address travel expenses, but added, "If they put Eureka, Olympia, us and Central Catholic in the same regional, it is going to make it awfully tough (to get out)."

Meanwhile, schools in Chicago and its suburbs will continue under the sectional complex and sub-sectional format. Hickman said that is because far more schools are in close proximity there than downstate.

University High volleyball coach Cathy Sanders would prefer a uniform system.

"One section of the state goes one way and another goes another way. I think that contradicts itself," Sanders said. "It just seems like that is really unfair to us down here. I think it should be one way or the other."

Welch agreed, saying, "I think you need to agree on something."

"It may be that down the road we need to look at that (the Chicago area)," Hickman said. "You can be close up there, but time-wise still be a fairly good distance away.

"People won't want to hear this, but we may have to go back strictly to (geographic) quadrants in football, too. We have some parameters in place to regulate travel, but we still can have some pretty long trips."

Hickman said the revised regional format will be evaluated after this year, but added, "My guess is if we continue to see the energy costs like this, it would be around for a while."

The IHSA is taking other steps to cut travel as well. Hickman said beginning with football season, rules interpretation presentations will be conducted online. Traditionally, they have been held at 30 high schools statewide, with officials and coaches traveling to at least one.

The IHSA also is working with athletic directors to perhaps move seeding meetings online.

"I just think we have to be sensitive to what it costs to travel," Hickman said.