Same as eight years ago when four or five options were presented at the region meetings due to the request of the schools to look at different options for alignment. The schools refused to change but continued to complain. Crazy!
NCHSAA Proposals on Classification and Realignment
- Thread starter FOOTBALLFANTIC
- Start date
Same as eight years ago when four or five options were presented at the region meetings due to the request of the schools to look at different options for alignment. The schools refused to change but continued to complain. Crazy!
What are some of the classification options you guys think would work??
When they did the 20/30/30/20 split last time I wanted the opposite (30/20/20/30) and to subdivide all team sports in 1A and 4A. For boys, that would be soccer, football, basketball, and baseball. That would basically be six classifications and place 57 schools in each 1A and 4A playoff subclass. 1A football cutoff would be right at 550 enrollment. It would be less in the other sports due to more participating schools.
At 20% of the schools in 2A and 3A that would make the ADMs differential around 300 separating the largest and the smallest school in 2A and 3A. There would be no subdividing in any sport including football.
When they did the 20/30/30/20 split last time I wanted the opposite (30/20/20/30) and to subdivide all team sports in 1A and 4A. For boys, that would be soccer, football, basketball, and baseball. That would basically be six classifications and place 57 schools in each 1A and 4A playoff subclass. 1A football cutoff would be right at 550 enrollment. It would be less in the other sports due to more participating schools.
At 20% of the schools in 2A and 3A that would make the ADMs differential around 300 separating the largest and the smallest school in 2A and 3A. There would be no subdividing in any sport including football.
I guess that would make it harder to fire a coach for going a certain number of years without making the playoffs. Ridiculous concept.
The proposals did fail. I wonder if the NCHSAA has an idea of how to work with four classifications to make it more equitable to as many schools as possible.
I do know that coaches from some sports have spoken about subdividing their sports. Baseball was interested in subdividing and expanding playoffs with three game series. I do not think any sport should be subdivided if the schools refused the option of more classifications. I did not like the idea of giving the NCHSAA full autonomy on the realignment but they have it now although within the confines of four classifications.
I do know that coaches from some sports have spoken about subdividing their sports. Baseball was interested in subdividing and expanding playoffs with three game series. I do not think any sport should be subdivided if the schools refused the option of more classifications. I did not like the idea of giving the NCHSAA full autonomy on the realignment but they have it now although within the confines of four classifications.
It appeared to me they left a lot of openings, such as three, four, five, or six classes. The “realigning” schools each year seemed a bit vague and should have been explained better. It was kind of my point that they have the “autonomy” now but limited to four classifications although I think there is a loophole that.
NC is falling behind in high school sports. We have the athletes but we lack the structure to showcase them.
Power Echols would be a 5 star in SC.
Power Echols would be a 5 star in SC.
I am not sure about that. Stars are not just about how the guy performs in high school but how they project him. If he were taller it would be more helpful than being in SC.
Some of you have probably seen this before and note that it was written several years ago and updated two years ago so obviously some of the exact numbers are changed. But the premise remains the same:
Currently NCHSAA divides its 417 member schools into 66 conferences and then sends 224 of its approximately 375 football schools into the playoffs in eight divisions.
Some NC Preps posters say 8 divisions is great, others say go back to the old 4-class system.
Here’s my compromise 6-class playoff plan:
1. Cut the number of qualifiers by 64 by having six classes, still with 5 rounds of playoffs. They are called 6-A, 5-A, 4-A, 3-A, 2-A and 1-A. By doing this, 192 teams (instead of 224) make the post-season. This would certainly eliminate a lot of the teams with 4-7 and 3-8 records from making the field but a team with a losing overall record could still make it with a top-3 conference finish. Schools playing a tough non-conference schedule wouldn’t be penalized … they would still make the playoffs based on a top-3 conference finish. It would also end forever the calls for the “2-A vs. 2-AA one-extra game to decide the overall 2-A champ.”
2. To pick the 192 for the playoffs, you divide the state into 60 six-team or seven-team conferences (six less than now). As more schools come into existence, they are placed into conferences by geography. The top three teams from each conference earn playoff berths, making for 180 teams. Twelve more at-large or wild card teams are also picked to complete the 192-team playoff pool, using the best overall records among all fourth-place teams. After the 192 teams are identified, rank them by the current ADM order and divide by six. Just as it is now, all the number one conference teams are given seeding priority, followed by No. 2 teams, No.3 teams and No. 4 teams. Conference teams that finish fifth can’t advance.
3. All conferences are in theory “split” conferences with no class designation made. It's the North State Conference, not the North State 2-A Conference.
Geography is the No. 1 consideration for grouping teams for conference play (but not the only consideration – teams must be reasonably close in size, for example, you wouldn’t put W-S Carver with 582 ADM in a conference with East Forsyth with with 1,784 even though they are 4 miles apart. I doubt there would be many instances where a wide variance was needed). Reidsville, with 708, could be in a conference with Rockingham County, with 1123. Maybe set the difference limit at 500.
They play a conference schedule, a conference tournament, etc. Then, when the "current ADMs" are announced then, AND NOT UNTIL THEN, place schools in divisions for the post-season.
4. The NCHSAA is already uses this realignment-by-geography thinking anyway. There are NINE split conferences in the current alignment. It would be possible (but not likely) for a conference to send its members to as many as 4 of the 6 different divisions.
5. This geography-based conference realignment plan saves a bunch on travel costs and maintains (or re-establishes) natural rivalries. It would be the last re-alignment ever needed although yearly adjustments would have to be made as new schools join the association (or schools are consolidated as in Montgomery County). And by doing the pairings based on current ADMs, big fluctuations in ADMs would be taken care of for the that post season.
6. Also suggested, but not really part of the playoff plan:
-- Teams who have met earlier in the season don’t play in the first round.
-- Cut the regular season back to 10 games and begin the playoffs one week earlier.
Currently NCHSAA divides its 417 member schools into 66 conferences and then sends 224 of its approximately 375 football schools into the playoffs in eight divisions.
Some NC Preps posters say 8 divisions is great, others say go back to the old 4-class system.
Here’s my compromise 6-class playoff plan:
1. Cut the number of qualifiers by 64 by having six classes, still with 5 rounds of playoffs. They are called 6-A, 5-A, 4-A, 3-A, 2-A and 1-A. By doing this, 192 teams (instead of 224) make the post-season. This would certainly eliminate a lot of the teams with 4-7 and 3-8 records from making the field but a team with a losing overall record could still make it with a top-3 conference finish. Schools playing a tough non-conference schedule wouldn’t be penalized … they would still make the playoffs based on a top-3 conference finish. It would also end forever the calls for the “2-A vs. 2-AA one-extra game to decide the overall 2-A champ.”
2. To pick the 192 for the playoffs, you divide the state into 60 six-team or seven-team conferences (six less than now). As more schools come into existence, they are placed into conferences by geography. The top three teams from each conference earn playoff berths, making for 180 teams. Twelve more at-large or wild card teams are also picked to complete the 192-team playoff pool, using the best overall records among all fourth-place teams. After the 192 teams are identified, rank them by the current ADM order and divide by six. Just as it is now, all the number one conference teams are given seeding priority, followed by No. 2 teams, No.3 teams and No. 4 teams. Conference teams that finish fifth can’t advance.
3. All conferences are in theory “split” conferences with no class designation made. It's the North State Conference, not the North State 2-A Conference.
Geography is the No. 1 consideration for grouping teams for conference play (but not the only consideration – teams must be reasonably close in size, for example, you wouldn’t put W-S Carver with 582 ADM in a conference with East Forsyth with with 1,784 even though they are 4 miles apart. I doubt there would be many instances where a wide variance was needed). Reidsville, with 708, could be in a conference with Rockingham County, with 1123. Maybe set the difference limit at 500.
They play a conference schedule, a conference tournament, etc. Then, when the "current ADMs" are announced then, AND NOT UNTIL THEN, place schools in divisions for the post-season.
4. The NCHSAA is already uses this realignment-by-geography thinking anyway. There are NINE split conferences in the current alignment. It would be possible (but not likely) for a conference to send its members to as many as 4 of the 6 different divisions.
5. This geography-based conference realignment plan saves a bunch on travel costs and maintains (or re-establishes) natural rivalries. It would be the last re-alignment ever needed although yearly adjustments would have to be made as new schools join the association (or schools are consolidated as in Montgomery County). And by doing the pairings based on current ADMs, big fluctuations in ADMs would be taken care of for the that post season.
6. Also suggested, but not really part of the playoff plan:
-- Teams who have met earlier in the season don’t play in the first round.
-- Cut the regular season back to 10 games and begin the playoffs one week earlier.
TGT, the six playoff championships for football has been presented before. To help with confusion it was called Division 1 (largest 32 schools) through D6 (smallest 32). Each of the four classes would have the same percentage of teams make the playoffs. Schools (and I am sure football coaches) were against it. Confusion, less teams making the playoffs, less champions.
Last edited:
Main things are geographic conferences and dividing schools each year by current ADMs.
If so, those teams (if in close proximity) probably face each other anyway ... and they probably would be in different playoff divisions.
Four classification is the only available option due to the vote not passing. I would like to see the four classes divided at 30/20/20/30 and subdivide 1A and 4A for all teams sports playoffs. No need to subdivide 2A and 3A in any sport including football as the differential between the smallest and largest school in the class would be close to 250 students.
Since the five or six classification failed when will they come out with the realignment for 2021-2025?
Still got four classifications for the time being. And Lord, knows we need to realign big time!!
Think your wrong. it has always came out the year before the new one takes effect.So it has to come out this year .
Nope, you are wrong. They haven’t even started the process yet. They eliminated the lame duck year this time to try to add 5A which they were unsuccessful. At least they will get enrollment numbers closer to when the conferences actually take effect. They ordinarily would be almost done with the process.
https://www.highschoolot.com/nchsaa-seeks-to-add-5a-class-realignment-process-postponed/18361168/
Unless realigning turns into a massive clusterbomb I think it would be good evidence that we should realign every two years.
This is going to be a test run due to the shorter completion period.
Similar threads
