DES MOINES -- Xavier High School could have an interesting decision to make this spring for its girls basketball program if the IGHSAU expands to five classes.

Should the Saints continue to compete against the biggest schools in the state for a spot in the state tournament, or should they compete in the second-biggest class and make life a little easier for themselves? They could have a choice.

The Board of Directors for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) delayed a vote on a possible new fifth class Friday at its meeting in Des Moines, but it appears likely a new Class 5A will be formed soon. A decision could be made at the next IGHSAU board meeting in late May.

Class 5A would include the 40 largest schools in the state and Class 4A would include the next 40 or 48 largest, depending on which proposal the board likes best. Xavier is currently the 47th largest school in the state and would fall into Class 4A, but the Saints could petition the IGHSAU for a spot in 5A.

Mike Dick, the executive director of the IGHSAU, said a petition would have to be based on "the right reasons," but membership in a big-school league could be one of those reasons.

Xavier competes in the Mississippi Valley Conference, which would be filled with 5A schools like Kennedy, Linn-Mar, Jefferson, Washington and Prairie, so the Saints could decide to compete against them for a spot in the state tournament as well.

On the other hand, the Saints could stay in the revised 4A bracket and probably improve their chances of making the state tournament against schools more in line with their own enrollment.

Xavier won Class 3A girls state basketball titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007, but grew into a Class 4A school as its enrollment climbed. The current Class 4A format has 48 schools and the Saints are 47th in enrollment, making them the second smallest.

If the IGHSAU puts 40 schools in a new Class 5A and either 40 or 48 schools in a revised 4A, the Saints would become one of the biggest 4A schools instead of one of the smallest 5A schools.

Marion High School Principal Dr. Greg Thomas is currently serving as president of the IGHSAU Board of Directors. The board could have voted on a Class 5A proposal Friday, but delayed a vote in order to collect more information about possible changes.

Thomas said the board wants more logistical information from the IGHSAU staff. In particular, he said board members want to know if all five girls state championship basketball games would be televised if the IGHSAU adds a class.

"We don't want to have a situation where two games are televised on Friday night and two games are televised on Saturday, and then one class doesn't get televised," he said.

Thomas said there are additional logistical questions, including whether the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids can handle a five-class state volleyball tournament and whether the IGHSAU can afford to stage a five-class state basketball tournament at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

"We're fine if we break even," he said, "but we also don't want to be losing money."

Once those questions are answered, Thomas expects the eight-member board to vote in favor of adding a fifth class. "There is overwhelming support for five classes," he said.

Basketball, volleyball, softball and golf would be the four girls sports that would move to a five-class alignment. If the board votes in favor of a fifth class this spring, it could be implemented in time for the 2012 state softball tournament.

Dick said the proposal to add a fifth class is intended to provide more opportunities for smaller schools to make a state tournament. In addition, a fifth class would shrink the enrollment differentials between the largest school and the smallest school in a particular class.

"We think it's good for kids," he said.

West Des Moines Valley is the largest 4A school with 2,016 students in grades 9 through 11, which is how enrollment is determined. Kennedy is the sixth-largest school in the state (and the largest in the Metro area) with 1,379 students, followed by Linn-Mar (9th with 1,300), Jefferson (13th with 1,251), Washington (23rd with 1,071), Prairie (32nd with 912), Xavier (47th with 603) and Marion (64th with 463).

The IGHSAU board is considering two main proposals, but in both cases Class 5A would have 40 schools. One proposal would divide the schools by 40-40-64-96-129 and the other would divide them 40-48-64-96-121.