Thoughts from the latest MSHSL meeting

Some interesting developments from this week's MSHSL meeting.

1) Teams will be limited to a total of 3 scrimmages/jamborees.

I like a limit, but I don't know that it was ever really an issue. This has more practical impact than our next item.

2) Teams may not travel outside of neighboring states/provinces (thank you Manitoba) unless its a round trip of less than 600 miles.

This is totally ridiculous on a couple of accounts. First, how much is this actually happening and how much of an "advantage" is it. Second, most of those trips are funded by the event being attended (e.g the Hopkins trip to NY this year) or by fundraisers by the team (e.g baseball trips over spring break). I much prefer Wisconsin's solution of saying you can play 22 games if they're all in Wisconsin or neighboring states, otherwise you only get 20. Admittedly Wisconsin had Milwaukee schools going to Chicago and outstate all the time so they felt a pressing need for change. Maybe there's something to a pre-emptive strike. But if a tournament is paying Hopkins to come play, I want to see our Minnesota team to be able to go and showcase our talent.

3) From John Millea's post tonight, a 7 person committee will meet next Monday to start the process of placing the 4 remaining Classic Lake schools in leagues. Other than that, just a rehash of the expected. 2 to the Lake, 2 to the NW Suburban, appeals, complaints etc. Then the real fun begins with the Lake Conference finally seeing they're in this whether they want to be or not. Millea has predicted for a while that Chaska and Chanhassen would move to the Missota which would bring that league to 9 teams (remember Hutchinson is leaving for the Wright County). You'd end up with 13 in the NW Suburban so something would have to happen there. As much as I think Armstrong should have joined the North Suburban to be with Cooper and set that league at 12 teams, you know they won't be leaving after all the trouble they went through to get in that league.