Beckwith Urges Return to Single-Class Tournament
Indiana's lieutenant governor called for restoring a single-class high school basketball tournament, which the state abandoned in 1997-98.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Basketball
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Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith called for a return to a single-class high school basketball tournament, declaring the position on X/Twitter. The Indiana High School Athletic Association has run a four-class tournament since the 1997-98 school year, after operating a single-class format from 1912.
Why it matters
Beckwith framed a single-class format as preserving the chance for small-town schools to compete on equal footing with the state's largest programs. The call revives a longstanding debate over the tournament format in Indiana, where basketball is a central part of high school athletics.
A 2005 IHSAA survey found 90% of member schools preferred the four-class tournament, with only 10% favoring a return to a single-class format. The survey's results have not been updated in the source material, leaving current school sentiment unclear.
The players
Micah Beckwith
Beckwith is Indiana's lieutenant governor and a former Michigan resident who has taken public positions on state policy.
Indiana High School Athletic Association
The IHSAA is the state body that governs interscholastic athletics in Indiana and sets the basketball tournament format.
The details
Beckwith, who is 44, said a return to one class would bring back the Cinderella stories and Hoosier Hysteria to high school gyms. A similar proposal, Senate Bill 84, was filed in the Indiana Senate in 2012 but did not advance beyond committee review, and a later IHSAA statewide listening tour produced no changes to the format.
Timeline
1912: The IHSAA begins its single-class basketball tournament.
1954: Milan High School wins the Indiana boys state basketball title.
1997-98 school year: The IHSAA shifts to a four-class tournament.
2012: Senate Bill 84 is filed and stalls in committee.
November 17: The Indiana Legislature convenes for a one-day organizational meeting.
Season Trajectory
The debate traces back to the IHSAA's 1997-98 decision to adopt a four-class tournament, a format that has remained in place since. Beckwith's call revisits that decision, and the 2012 Senate Bill 84 attempt shows the idea has resurfaced before without result.
A single-class format would place schools of every size in one bracket, so a small-town program could meet the state's largest schools in the same tournament. Under the current four-class system, small schools compete only against others of similar enrollment.
The takeaway
The debate over Indiana's tournament format centers on whether small-town schools should compete directly with the state's largest programs. Readers following the issue can track whether any legislator revives a single-class measure.
What happens next
The Indiana Legislature convenes November 17 for a one-day organizational meeting.
Further reading
Explore more Indiana basketball coverage for background on the state's tournament history.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nwitimes.
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