Per the coaches rep on the Board of Directors at the time the change was made the NCHSAA wanted to do 32 teams / four rounds. The schools wanted 64 and they settled at 48. The four round playoffs would have finished the week prior to the five round playoffs so no open week.
One of the most often voiced complaints during the lead up to the realignment were the vast difference in enrollments in 1A and 4A. The uneven allotment of teams per class was how it was dealt with.
btango-
Seriously, thanks for developing this.
But it is clear as mud.
In your last response, you are discussing ONLY the 1A and 4A classes. They ended up with 48 playoff teams each, correct?
2A and 3A still have 64 teams and five rounds for all.
You stated-
“Per the coaches rep on the Board of Directors at the time the change was made, the NCHSAA wanted to do 32 teams / four rounds. The four round playoffs would have finished the week prior to the five round playoffs so no open week”.
So, apparently, it never concerned the association members that they were advocating a significantly DIFFERENT and additional requirement for the 2A and 3A playoff teams to earn the same equivalent State Championship title as 1A and 4A.
That is unbelievable.
But maybe not.
Ignorance is defined as lacking knowledge or awareness in general; uneducated or unsophisticated.
The decision makers at the association appear to not fully understand the real hardship an extra round in the football playoffs can create. Potential for injuries, upsets, weather factors. Been over this before. In the case of those with a bye, the bye gives an extra week for much needed rest, healing and opportunities for scouting opponents. It is huge.
The association’s lack of that sophisticated level of football knowledge probably allowed them to view it as no different than extra innings or even another basketball game round.
Where was the coaches rep while this present format was adopted?
Who was the coaches rep? Should there have been additional coaches reps for each classification?
Still not understanding the “vast difference in enrollments in 1A and 4A. The uneven allotment of teams per class was how it was dealt with”.
There was even the dividing of each classification into subdivisions for football, so that added a great opportunity to keep similar size schools together.
Please give examples of School A and School B within a classification being so far apart in enrollment to result in this format.