INDIANA, (WOWO):  The state high school boys basketball finals are Saturday, and this may be the last year in which champions are determined in four classes.

The board of the Indiana High School Athletic Association received a proposal on Friday to reduce the number of classes for basketball, but not for other sports.

The plan was developed by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association after Bobby Cox, the IHSAA Commissioner and State Senator Mike Delph toured the state last year to get feedback on the future of class basketball.

Delph had been among the lawmakers who introduced bills to return the high school basketball tournaments to the single-class system that existed until 1997. His reason was a drop in attendance at the four class finals and what seems to have been a loss of general interest over the years. Cox says that is not their focus. “If that tournament serves the needs of the (IHSAA) membership, then we certainly invite our patrons and our supporters to come and support our young people while they play. But we’re not going to design a tournament simply for what attendance might occur or might not occur.”

Cox himself has some concern about the new class proposal. “I think there will be significant conversation about what the change in format would do to revenue, because our membership relies heavily on those sectional revenues in both basketball and football,” Cox said.

The board is expected to vote on the plan at its next meeting in May.