How can it be better?

[CoachKnowy]

With this being the 1st year if the 8 classification system, and seeing how the playoffs have unfolded, I was wondering if anybody had any ideas how to make the 8 classification system better from the regular season standpoint or the playoff standpoint. Now obviously some of us may think 8 classes is too many (which could be debated) but I do not not think we will ever see less than 8 going forward based on how the NCHSAA by-law is worded concerning classifications, so I'd rather keep the discussions on something that could be done without wholesale changes.

Since I brought it up I will give a couple of thoughts I have that I think could make what we currently have better.

1. Smaller playoff brackets (eliminate the byes) 2a-7a have 32 team brackets (16E/16W) 1A and 8A have 16 team brackets (8E/8W). Give 1A/8A a bye the week before the state champ game. With this many teams making the playoffs they get watered down and devalue making the playoffs.

2. Bring back the hard E/W line. Take the number of teams in each classification on an annual basis and set the E/W line. For example, if a classification has 60 teams the 30 most western teams go west and the 30 most eastern teams go east. If the number of playoff teams remains the same then the best 24 out of the 30 western schools make it and the best 24 out of the eastern schools make it. (still think it should be 16 and 16). If there is an odd number of teams in a classification, 59 for an example, take the 29 most western and 29 most eastern teams and set them in their regions. The team in the middle goes to which ever region they are closest to based on the next closest team to them. In 4A there are 59 teams and based off of what the NCHSAA has posted for each schools longitude, Central Davidson would be the middle of 4A. Their longitude is 80.22185 and the next closest school to their east is Carver at 80.20634 while their next closest west school is Lexington at 80.25011. Under my theory Central Davidson would go east. If no schools are added to 4A then this E/W hard line remains but if a schools is added for whatever reason it would be adjusted each year a school is added.

3. No bye weeks. 10 games in 10 weeks and if you eliminate the byes in the playoffs, this shortens the season by two weeks and the state championships are done at the end of November. Byes are nice to rest and recover but from an overlapping standpoint with kids playing multiple sports, it helps more than it hurts I believe.

If you have any other ideas please share. Let the banter begin.

 

[beamer24]

I'm all for shortening the season. Kids start spring ball in April/May aint no sense in playing till December.

 

[Goldendomer10]

I like a field of 32 and removing the bye from the playoffs.
I say let the best 32 in with no initial preference for longitude. Travel is the only concern there and these games are Friday night. I’m a Pisgah fan so we’re the 2nd furthest West 4A team so we very well could have one of the longest road trips in the future if the cards fell right but that’s part of the joy of the playoffs is facing a “new” opponent. If you do 32 you’ve probably taken a lot of blowouts out of the equation. Some blowouts will occasionally happen but heck that happens in the Super Bowl sometimes.

 

[ncfootball_17]

With this being the 1st year if the 8 classification system, and seeing how the playoffs have unfolded, I was wondering if anybody had any ideas how to make the 8 classification system better from the regular season standpoint or the playoff standpoint. Now obviously some of us may think 8 classes is too many (which could be debated) but I do not not think we will ever see less than 8 going forward based on how the NCHSAA by-law is worded concerning classifications, so I'd rather keep the discussions on something that could be done without wholesale changes.

Since I brought it up I will give a couple of thoughts I have that I think could make what we currently have better.

1. Smaller playoff brackets (eliminate the byes) 2a-7a have 32 team brackets (16E/16W) 1A and 8A have 16 team brackets (8E/8W). Give 1A/8A a bye the week before the state champ game. With this many teams making the playoffs they get watered down and devalue making the playoffs.

2. Bring back the hard E/W line. Take the number of teams in each classification on an annual basis and set the E/W line. For example, if a classification has 60 teams the 30 most western teams go west and the 30 most eastern teams go east. If the number of playoff teams remains the same then the best 24 out of the 30 western schools make it and the best 24 out of the eastern schools make it. (still think it should be 16 and 16). If there is an odd number of teams in a classification, 59 for an example, take the 29 most western and 29 most eastern teams and set them in their regions. The team in the middle goes to which ever region they are closest to based on the next closest team to them. In 4A there are 59 teams and based off of what the NCHSAA has posted for each schools longitude, Central Davidson would be the middle of 4A. Their longitude is 80.22185 and the next closest school to their east is Carver at 80.20634 while their next closest west school is Lexington at 80.25011. Under my theory Central Davidson would go east. If no schools are added to 4A then this E/W hard line remains but if a schools is added for whatever reason it would be adjusted each year a school is added.

3. No bye weeks. 10 games in 10 weeks and if you eliminate the byes in the playoffs, this shortens the season by two weeks and the state championships are done at the end of November. Byes are nice to rest and recover but from an overlapping standpoint with kids playing multiple sports, it helps more than it hurts I believe.

If you have any other ideas please share. Let the banter begin.

1. I agree with the 16 & 32 teams making the playoffs, but let 1A and 8A play the weekend before. If logistics (finding places to play) the weekend before is too difficult, then make the bye week the first week of the playoffs, not last.

2. I can agree with this. I think the only thing I would change is not modifying the line until reclassification. How many schools are really opening up in the four year window? Not to mention, when it does open, it's going to take kids from surrounding schools, and their classifications aren't changing until realignment. NCHSAA would mess it up if they changed it every year.

3. If you want a bye, schedule 9 games.

 

[ncfootball_17]

I like a field of 32 and removing the bye from the playoffs.
I say let the best 32 in with no initial preference for longitude. Travel is the only concern there and these games are Friday night. I’m a Pisgah fan so we’re the 2nd furthest West 4A team so we very well could have one of the longest road trips in the future if the cards fell right but that’s part of the joy of the playoffs is facing a “new” opponent. If you do 32 you’ve probably taken a lot of blowouts out of the equation. Some blowouts will occasionally happen but heck that happens in the Super Bowl sometimes.

While that would be fun, playing new opponents, I think it would be very costly and not economical for the schools or parents. Pisgah to some of those eastern teams is 5-6+ hours in a car. Do that for two or three weeks in a row and it won't be fun anymore.

 

[beamer24]

While that would be fun, playing new opponents, I think it would be very costly and not economical for the schools or parents. Pisgah to some of those eastern teams is 5-6+ hours in a car. Do that for two or three weeks in a row and it won't be fun anymore.

Pisgah to West Craven lol

 

[The Patriot]

One potential problem with shortening the season is that you may not be able to play championship games at colleges. Some schools will have games at the end of November which will interfere with games at that university.

 

[Grizzly Tamer]

I agree with 1, 2 maybe and 3 I do not agree with.
Smaller playoff field makes it a greater achievement.
A definitive E/W line I believe would be better as long as Reidsville is in the East.
A regular season bye week can help teams regroup and recover especially if there are no byes for playoffs. I also think bye weeks should be in the last half of regular season with 2 teams per conference on bye per week.

 

[CoachKnowy]

I like a field of 32 and removing the bye from the playoffs.
I say let the best 32 in with no initial preference for longitude. Travel is the only concern there and these games are Friday night. I’m a Pisgah fan so we’re the 2nd furthest West 4A team so we very well could have one of the longest road trips in the future if the cards fell right but that’s part of the joy of the playoffs is facing a “new” opponent. If you do 32 you’ve probably taken a lot of blowouts out of the equation. Some blowouts will occasionally happen but heck that happens in the Super Bowl sometimes.

Remember this would also be the classifications for all sports so you would not want a top 32 only encompassing the entire state. SWO to Pisgah for 1st round volleyball or tennis would be brutal.

 

[CoachKnowy]

One potential problem with shortening the season is that you may not be able to play championship games at colleges. Some schools will have games at the end of November which will interfere with games at that university.

Instead of college stadiums go to the Charlotte and play where the Panthers play. If you did college stadiums, I would perfer Campbell, Elon, A&T, Lenoir Rhyne etc. Obviously there are logistical issues with any and all of these.

 

[CoachKnowy]

1. I agree with the 16 & 32 teams making the playoffs, but let 1A and 8A play the weekend before. If logistics (finding places to play) the weekend before is too difficult, then make the bye week the first week of the playoffs, not last.

2. I can agree with this. I think the only thing I would change is not modifying the line until reclassification. How many schools are really opening up in the four year window? Not to mention, when it does open, it's going to take kids from surrounding schools, and their classifications aren't changing until realignment. NCHSAA would mess it up if they changed it every year.

3. If you want a bye, schedule 9 games.

Definitely can have a bye and only play 9 games. Only draw back I see to that is only having 4 home games might be a financial hit to most schools budgets.

 

[Goldendomer10]

Remember this would also be the classifications for all sports so you would not want a top 32 only encompassing the entire state. SWO to Pisgah for 1st round volleyball or tennis would be brutal.

My comment said the “best 32 with no INITIAL preference for longitude” meaning pick the best 32 in the state and then assign East and West based on longitude.
I made that comment in objection to your pre-established East-West line. In theory, our furthest travel would typically be in the 3 pushing 4 hour range at times, which outside of 1a, would probably be the typical longest for most teams.

 

[Goldendomer10]

Definitely can have a bye and only play 9 games. Only draw back I see to that is only having 4 home games might be a financial hit to most schools budgets.

Due to scheduling with new conference alignment, we only had 4 home games this year.

 

[The Patriot]

Instead of college stadiums go to the Charlotte and play where the Panthers play. If you did college stadiums, I would perfer Campbell, Elon, A&T, Lenoir Rhyne etc. Obviously there are logistical issues with any and all of these.

I think you've got too many issues with some of those venues. A&T is probably the best bet and the NCHSAA has a good relationship with them as that stadium hosts the track and field championships. But most of those other places will want some flexibility should there be the chance to host playoffs for either D2 or FCS playoffs in football or perhaps even MLS playoffs at the Panther's stadium. A&T will always play in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta whenever possible, so they're maybe the only viable alternative.
The association went to playing at Carolina and State so they could have a big venue at a centralized location instead of alternating on campus sites east and west. It worked because it didn't interfere with what those schools have scheduled. But with eight championship games one venue is not going to work. So they may need to play the title games in December.

 

[Chopper747_2.0]

Dynasty teams that win like 3 or 4 in a row should automatically have to play up a level and compete. That would keep the cowards from hiding in the lower classes.

 

[Goldendomer10]

While that would be fun, playing new opponents, I think it would be very costly and not economical for the schools or parents. Pisgah to some of those eastern teams is 5-6+ hours in a car. Do that for two or three weeks in a row and it won't be fun anymore.

Read my other reply, I didn’t mean having a wide open 32 team field. I know multiple trips to the coast over 2-3 weeks wouldn’t be fun. Shoot they can’t even do BBQ and Slaw right on that end of the state. . JK, Easterners.

The “floating” East-West line would be what would let some “new” blood in occasionally, not the whole dang state.

 

[ThePitBoss]

I know one thing: we could group think this and come up with the literal best solution & the NCHSAA would do the opposite

 

[TGT2]

Worst thing I see is that the 8-A and 1-A have a bye week after reaching the finals. Why not go ahead and play and let the student athletes from those four schools move on to basketball and wrestling a week earlier?
It would also give those two divisions the stage by themselves.
https://www.nchsaa.org/championships/football/

 

[Otis1144]

Pisgah to West Craven lol

We all in on that! 5-1/2 hours! I enjoyed seeing the Pisgah-Tuscola rivalry this year. It was my 2nd trip to it. But you need to know I have family in Springdale Arkansas and I drive up there to watch my family play at Shiloh Christian and another that is a senior qb at Gentry high school. One time I drove to Dardenville to watch them play and after the game I headed back home. That was about 14-1/2 hours one way. I did stop at a truck stop and slept about 2-1/2 hours in the car. I guess my 66 yrs are working on me.

 

[Otis1144]

Here you go @beamer24 this was last week. Qb for Gentry high school in Arkansas. Put up some nice numbers. He is handicapped by his 5’-8” height but does have offers to play .

 

[Vik-Val 86]

I agree with shorten the season with less teams making the playoffs

 

[ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ α♂]

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We’ve already seen what the floating line can do this year in football. Eastern Randolph, up until the last couple of weeks, was the number one team in the 3A East. Then Bartlett Yancey moved up into the top 48, which added another team to the East side. The committee decided to hold the line, which pushed Eastern Randolph into an already loaded 3A Western bracket as a 3-seed. Bartlett Yancey would have been the 21-seed on either side of the bracket, but the committee chose to strictly hold the line. As a result, Bartlett Yancey and Eastern Randolph are the two schools that ended up right on that dividing line. The big question now is whether the committee will continue to hold the line in the future, or if they’ll consider giving a school like Eastern Randolph a 1-seed without affecting the rest of the bracket. Personally, I’d like to see the playoffs move to 32 teams, 16 on each side, with no bye weeks and a straight path into the playoffs. I understand why they use the floating line, it’s designed to get the best 48 teams into the playoffs regardless of geography, but situations like this show the downsides when strong teams get shifted into tougher brackets.