OHIO to add a 7th Class in Football

Thoughts on this change? What would KY HS Football look like if this happened in KY? Top 10% will make up D1. Good or Bad? Will create 32 more tourney opportunities.



Ohio to add 7th division in high school football | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

This was all about the top level schools and closing the disparity in number of students in that top level class. Prepare yourself for a deluge of "watering down competition" and "everybody is a winner" in this thread.

Waiting for the pompous ones to start berating Ohio for this.....or maybe since Ohio does it, it must be right. Either way I'm just

Ohio now will have seven. Kentucky will have six. Way too many in both states. Attendance will continue to fall for regular season games. Tax levies will fail, and shortly everyone can pay for their own uniforms, buses and their own trophies. In a similar thread, the United States will continue to look for everything to be even in all we do while the Chinese zoom past us as the leader of the world.

For Ohio I like it. I think it is a good move by the OHSAA.

Originally Posted by theguru

For Ohio I like it. I think it is a good move by the OHSAA.

I agree! "For Ohio", as even with the new division they have 72 teams in the top division, and 104 in each of the other 6 divisions. KY has about 32 per class correct?

Originally Posted by SportsGuy41017

I agree! "For Ohio", as even with the new division they have 72 teams in the top division, and 104 in each of the other 6 divisions. KY has about 32 per class correct?

About 36-37, on average. If your math is correct, Ohio would have to go to 18 or 19 classes to be as watered-down as Kentucky.

I was hoping maybe Ohio would take one or two of ours.

Originally Posted by westsider

About 36-37, on average. If your math is correct, Ohio would have to go to 18 or 19 classes to be as watered-down as Kentucky.

That's pretty sad.

Here is the distribution of of the classes in Ohio.

Division I – 600 to 1,164
Division II – 410 to 599
Division III – 288 to 409
Division IV – 216 to 287
Division V – 159 to 215
Division VI – 114 to 158
Division VII – 30 to 111

That is a more narrow range that what Kentucky has. For example, 1A in Kentucky includes all schools with 200 or less boys. That is broken down into nearly 3 different classes in Ohio. So while there are more schools in each class in Ohio, in some ways it is harder for many schools in Kentucky than Ohio due to the broad range of boys in each class. That 50 boy school in Ohio will not have to play a school with 190 boys like the Kentucky school will.

Which would you rather do - compete against more schools closer in size or compete against fewer schools but have to beat schools with 3X the number of boys?

Originally Posted by Voice of Reason

Here is the distribution of of the classes in Ohio.

Division I – 600 to 1,164
Division II – 410 to 599
Division III – 288 to 409
Division IV – 216 to 287
Division V – 159 to 215
Division VI – 114 to 158
Division VII – 30 to 111

That is a more narrow range that what Kentucky has. For example, 1A in Kentucky includes all schools with 200 or less boys. That is broken down into nearly 3 different classes in Ohio. So while there are more schools in each class in Ohio, in some ways it is harder for many schools in Kentucky than Ohio due to the broad range of boys in each class. That 50 boy school in Ohio will not have to play a school with 190 boys like the Kentucky school will.

Which would you rather do - compete against more schools closer in size or compete against fewer schools but have to beat schools with 3X the number of boys?

Are those three-grade or four-grade figures?

Originally Posted by westsider

Are those three-grade or four-grade figures?

I don't know but it doesn't make a difference in the point I am making. The spread between the largest and smallest school in the classes is more narrow.

Originally Posted by Voice of Reason

I don't know but it doesn't make a difference in the point I am making. The spread between the largest and smallest school in the classes is more narrow.

So what? Ohio is much more densely populated and has about three times the number of football schools that Kentucky does. Regardless of the enrollment differences, the classes aren't watered down by low numbers.

Originally Posted by westsider

So what? Ohio is much more densely populated and has about three times the number of football schools that Kentucky does. Regardless of the enrollment differences, the classes aren't watered down by low numbers.

Let me put my question another way. If you have 125 boys in your school, would you prefer competing for a state title versus 70 schools with less than 150 students or 35 schools with 190 boys?

Originally Posted by Voice of Reason

Let me put my question another way. If you have 125 boys in your school, would you prefer competing for a state title versus 70 schools with less than 150 students or 35 schools with 190 boys?

If you're good enough to compete, you're good enough to compete, unless you're playing schools with several times your enrollment ... besides, some schools choose to stay as small as they are.

The numbers never seem to affect Beechwood much.

Originally Posted by Voice of Reason

Let me put my question another way. If you have 125 boys in your school, would you prefer competing for a state title versus 70 schools with less than 150 students or 35 schools with 190 boys?

Strictly speaking of your scenerio, I'd take playing the 35 school route every day and twice on Sunday. I'll gladly give up 65 boys total for cutting the number of teams I have to be better than to win state in half.

Point of the matter is simple. Less than half of the DI teams will make the playoffs even with the added class. In the other six classes, less than a third will make the playoffs.

It's a good move for Ohio that will really only affect the lower enrollment current D1 schools and the competing D2 schools, who will have their bar raised. There will be movement in the other divisions, but nothing earth shattering. IMO D2 in Ohio will get a lot more fun to watch come playoff time beginning in 2013.

Originally Posted by westsider

Are those three-grade or four-grade figures?

3-grade


Here's the old VI numbers

Division Enrollment Schools
I ...........494+........118
II.......327 to 493....119
III......243 to 326....120
IV......172 to 242....122
V.......120 to 171....116
VI......119 and less..122
Total Schools 717

31% of the schools will make the playoffs in the new format. Was 27% in the VI format.

Great move, hopefully it gets rid of the situations like they had some years ago. There was a Southern Ohio School that had went 9-1 for the season and didnt make the playoffs.

Originally Posted by plantmanky

Great move, hopefully it gets rid of the situations like they had some years ago. There was a Southern Ohio School that had went 9-1 for the season and didnt make the playoffs.

Ohio playoffs are based off points - not record.

You can go 10-0 and not make the playoffs, if you play nothing but cupcakes.

Originally Posted by coldweatherfan

Ohio playoffs are based off points - not record.

You can go 10-0 and not make the playoffs, if you play nothing but cupcakes.

If I remember correctly it was a situation of 3 teams in the same conference all had 9-1 records, 2 of them got in, and this school didnt.