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Home > Blogs > High School Huddle > Archives > 2008 > October > 08 > Entry
Proposed D-I football split a split decision
The OHSAA is trying to address the massive divide between the biggest enrollment schools in Division I high school football and the smallest. That gap is more than 700 in size (which would be a whole ‘nother D-I team). A subcommittee said recently the OHSAA Board of Directors should study the plan, which eventually could be enacted without a vote of OHSAA member schools.
But splitting D-I into two divisions (let’s call them D-IA and D-IAA) could send some Region 4 heavyweights crying foul like it’s a return back in time to the unfair system of only two or four playoff teams.
Under the proposal — which is still a long way off if it survives in any form — the top two divisions would have about 58 teams each. That means either 14 or 15 in a region and four of those teams make the playoffs. Besides the fact that would either add a bye week or end the D-IAA and D-IA season a week before the rest, there are other issues.
For one, an estimated 20 of the 29 teams in Region 4 would be in the top division. Obviously, that won’t happen. So where would the new regional lines be drawn?
In Cincinnati, you could see a future of Colerain, Elder, St. Xavier and someone else claiming those four spots nearly every season. Dayton-area teams would hate to be stuck with that deal.
However, in theory, you could take Centerville, Wayne, Northmont, Miamisburg and Fairmont and put them in Region 3 with Troy, Springfield and the Toledo and/or Columbus-area schools. That would push a showdown with a Cincinnati power to the state semifinals.
That might be more fair, but who knows? There haven’t been any other details available, except that letting teams “play up” a division is not part of this proposal.
For what it’s worth, my two ideas.
Take all the teams in the current D-I and D-II and break those into nearly equal thirds (D-IAA could be smaller in number of schools). Then you can still take 8 teams per region and you address the disparity of the current D-I. If D-IA and D-II teams don’t like that a slightly higher percentage of teams make the playoffs in the bigger divisions, let them play up if they want.
Enact the OHSAA proposal, but allow 6 teams in the playoffs per region instead of four. That gives the top two a bye, but lets the championship be decided the same weekend as all the other divisions. You won’t lose any quality with six (out of 14 or 15) and you may stave off a revolt. Again, give the D-IA teams the option to play up if desired.
There’s no federal law saying divisions should have about equal number of teams in each. The smaller schools may chirp about that, but they have benefitted from every other expansion and only face enrollment differences of between 55 and 158 — a far cry from the 718-boy canyon-like divide that exists in D-I.
Your thoughts?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
Comments
By Stick
October 9, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
Why is it that the football postseason in this state wants to deny winning teams/players the opportunity to participate. Seems to me the goal should be just the opposite. Shorten regular season to 9 add a playoff game, and add division(s). Therebye allowing more players the experience of postseason. (not just the elite). Must be a snobbery aspect to this I just don’t get.By jimmie
October 9, 2008 2:01 PM | Link to this
For the OHSAA this has nothing to do with fairness. It is all about $$$. One more division of big schools means big revenue for the OHSAA.By LizardKingLives
October 9, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this
Stick here is why we not listent to you.Only the elite should be playing for a Championship.A winning record is something to be proud of…but lets face it if you are 8-2 or worse in regular season you do not deserve to playing for the Championship.In a 10 game season their is no room for error and if you split once then ok, but twice then step to the back of the line you DO NOT DESERVE TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS OR COMPETING FOR A STATE TITLE.Champions are the elite…sorry if you did not win a trophy when you was a kid or had to sit on the sideline…but in the real world not everyone wins a trophy, in fact, in the real world not everyone even gets a chance to play for the trophy.In the long run it is all just a game…but I would not want to play a game that everyone becomes champion…where is the accomplishment there.By Stick
October 10, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this
Well Lizard here’s the problem .”but lets face it if you are 8-2 or worse in regular season you do not deserve to playing for the Championship” Why ? What’s the basis for such a belief ? Why doesn’t it apply to other high school sports? Why wouldn’t the ‘elite’ want to prove they are champions? I’m not giving anybody anything except the opportunity to compete. It’s “HIGH SCHOOL”, is that where we want to deny kids the chance show they can learn and improve ?By Stick
October 10, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
In my ‘real world’ we may failed a few times. But when it got time to ‘put up’ we were right there. Seems to me the best stories in sports have an underdog involved. So put them out on the field and let it get sorted out there. Not by a set of rules some bureaucrat thought up