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.