Even though most teams get in some don't in football...but every team in soccer, baseball, basketball and volleyball get in...where is the out rage for those sports????

 

There is no outrage because these sports can play 2-4 games in a one week period. In those sports when the district tournament starts a state champion is crowned in 3-4 week period with countless games played. In football when the playoffs start a state champion is crowned with considerably less games played over the same amount of time.

There is no outrage because these sports can play 2-4 games in a one week period. In those sports when the district tournament starts a state champion is crowned in 3-4 week period with countless games played. In football when the playoffs start a state champion is crowned with considerably less games played over the same amount of time.

 

You are right, but no one "yet" has complained about the amount of time the playoffs take. I looked at this either last year or the year before when this came up and from the first playoff game to the state championship game there was only a 3 or 4 day difference between how long the playoffs were in football and basketball.

Length of Playoffs first game to last game last year

 

Nov 4 to Dec 2 Football 28 days

Oct 9 to Nov 3 Soccer 25 days

Feb 22 to Mar 17 Boys Basketball 24 days

I think 6 classes is one too many but I'm not complaining about extra football. I'm easy.

 

Here is my annual plea to go back to 4 classes and go to 7-8 team 'Sections'. Then go to 6 weeks of playoffs. A 3 week Sectional championship and a 3 week State level Championship. This would allow all schools to participate in playoffs.

 

Most sections would have 7 teams if everything is spread out evenly. For the playoffs the Regular season sectional champion would get a bye. The seeding for the remainder of the bracket would be this

 

6 vs. 7 winner plays #1 seed

 

2 vs 5 winner plays winner of 3 vs. 4 game

3 vs 4 winner plays winner of 2 vs. 5 game.

 

Notice this - the first round games would all have a chance of being competitive. Since the 2 low finishers are going to play each other there would be more interest in those games. Sure they then would get the right to play the #1 seed and Sectional Champion. But at least they would have something to look forward to in the first round! And the sectional winner gets a week to rest and then plays one of the 2 lowest seed teams in the sectional. So there would be incentive to the regular season champion. Notice the match-ups in the lower bracket. A #2 vs #5 and #3 vs #4. Those would likely be good games.

 

This format would allow ALL schools to play in the playoffs.

 

 

 

There would then be 32 Sectional Champions across the state. These champions then go into the State Tournament in a classic 8 team, 3 round bracket. The State Championship could be random draw or may be split East/West with random draw for each side to minimize travel and not have a 5 hour ride for the first rounds.

 

This is how Indiana is structured - with 5 classes. In Kentucky the number of classes to make this work is 4. Indiana uses random seeding for the Sectional tournament. But I would recommend the seeded approach since all be 2 or 3 Sections would be 7 teams. For those that are 8 the traditional seeding would be used. But that would only impact 2 or 3 sections.

 

I know - adding a week to playoffs is a problem. But again, Indiana has only a 9 game season. Since ALL schools get into playoffs Kentucky to go to only 9 regular season games but guarantee every kid 10 games and every kid a chance to experience the excitement of playoffs.

 

Oh - and far, far fewer first round blowouts!