Why don't they combine 2 district into a region and have the top four of the region go to the playoffs. That will give you 7 region games and the three other games for your rival or tune up games. It will also shorten up the playoff season.

 

Some regions might have more than eight teams but i don't think more than 9

To me it's funny when some say, well Baseball and Basketball lets everyone into the playoffs! Well Basketball and Baseball only has one State Champion, not the Six that Football has, so lets only have one State Football Champion! Is that going to make you happy?

 

Baseball and Basketball have district tourneys that are played in around four or five days tops and then go to a Regional Tourney that again takes four or five days tops! So lets make football play two or three games in four or five days! Is that going to make you happy?

 

I mean you complain that Football should be treated like Baseball and Basketball?

 

Football is indeed watered down and needs to drop to three Divisions as having teams travel hundreds of miles to get blown out in front of tiny crowds that don't even cover the expenses that are incur is a huge joke and an added expense that the host schools shouldn't have to shoulder, to keep everybody happy.

I'm saying its similar to the other sports. They both have district play as their first round if elimination, correct? After district play is complete in all sports, teams are eliminated, correct? In football, 4 teams move on, correct? In any other sport, 2 teams move on, correct? What am I missing? Football does have a district tournament to eliminate teams. Because of the nature if football (not being able to play games on back to back days like other sports) they play the district during the regular season. Just like any other sport teams get eliminated. The only difference is 4 teams move on in football compared to 2 in other sports. I'm not making any play for the other sports at all. I'm simply saying that in football 4 move on after the district is decided and some get cut.

 

And those that want to say that in the other sports, all teams make post season or playoffs via everyone is eligible for district play, again I say football is not different, it's exactly the same. Every team gets their chance to play in the district (which is the first round of elimination for football). Some teams are eliminated by district play. But everyone is eligible. Your record determines who moves on! The difference is 4 teams move on once the district is decided vs 2 in other sports. I'm saying they are a very similar format, but not similar in the number of teams that move on. If football only allowed 2 teams to advance, like the other sports, they'd be almost exactly the same.

 

Every year in all the other sports, very good teams are eliminated in district play and don't get a chance to move on. Wouldn't they like a chance to play another game for a the same reasons everyone states in here for football. The fact is, only 2 move on after district. 4 move on after districts in football and its too many.

 

If it was feasible for football to play a district tourney over a weekend at the end of the season, they would. However, you can't physically do that in football so they back their way of determining the district into the season games. They are ALL eligible, just like other sports.

 

The regular season district play is not the elimination round in any sport, including football. Regular season district play in football provides seeding for the post season, just like it does in other sports (except those districts who choose to ignore regular season district play and draw from a hat). The only difference in football is post season district play is not limited to just the teams in your district, it includes teams from a neighboring district and is seeded. The basic flaw in your reasoning is considering regular season district play as part of the post season or being used for elimination from post season. It isn't that way in any sport.

If 6 Classes stay, then 2 teams.

 

If 4 Classes (which won't ever happen), 4 teams from each district like now and like it has been since 1991. In 4 classes, you at least have districts with 6-9 teams, so the 4th seeds are usually a lot better quality than what they are now.

 

Personally, I'd like to see KY adopt things like what Oklahoma has done and they classify teams based off demographical factors. The fact is, in KY, you have a lot of rural places that have never cared about football (outside of MAYBE the biggest town/county seat, which might only be 2-3K in population) and they never will. You have many 2A, 3A and even 4A "county" schools that are actually 1A football programs because of where they draw their kids from that actually play (or participate in anything extracurricular for that fact).

 

I heard a very successful coach who has been doing this & seeing the changes over the years say this; If the school you are thinking about going to is a small town (a high school with "county" in its name, 2A-4A), with a lot of barns, low number of minority, a successful band and soccer on the rise.....then run. Now, are there exceptions? Absolutely, but not many.

The regular season district play is not the elimination round in any sport, including football. Regular season district play in football provides seeding for the post season, just like it does in other sports (except those districts who choose to ignore regular season district play and draw from a hat). The only difference in football is post season district play is not limited to just the teams in your district, it includes teams from a neighboring district and is seeded. The basic flaw in your reasoning is considering regular season district play as part of the post season or being used for elimination from post season. It isn't that way in any sport.

 

I don't want to get into a "who's right and who's wrong" type of thing...but, I do see where the regular season district play in football is used as an elimination from the post season. In a 5 team district (like Cooper's), only 4 teams make it. And, as such, this year it came down to who won the game between Cooper and Grant. Winner advances (as the #4 seed), and the loser stays home. In basketball, the regular season district games also determine seedings...but, it's not like anyone gets eliminated in the regular season.

 

The simplest solution that I've seen so far, without throwing everything out and starting over (different classes, etc.) is what RockPride mentioned earlier...only 3 teams advance from each district (whether they've got 4 teams or 5), and the top 1 gets a bye. It pretty much allows you to keep the same postseason schedule you have right now, and really lays out an incentive to be a #1 seed from the regular season.

If 6 Classes stay, then 2 teams.

 

If 4 Classes (which won't ever happen), 4 teams from each district like now and like it has been since 1991. In 4 classes, you at least have districts with 6-9 teams, so the 4th seeds are usually a lot better quality than what they are now.

 

Personally, I'd like to see KY adopt things like what Oklahoma has done and they classify teams based off demographical factors. The fact is, in KY, you have a lot of rural places that have never cared about football (outside of MAYBE the biggest town/county seat, which might only be 2-3K in population) and they never will. You have many 2A, 3A and even 4A "county" schools that are actually 1A football programs because of where they draw their kids from that actually play (or participate in anything extracurricular for that fact).

 

I heard a very successful coach who has been doing this & seeing the changes over the years say this; If the school you are thinking about going to is a small town (a high school with "county" in its name, 2A-4A), with a lot of barns, low number of minority, a successful band and soccer on the rise.....then run. Now, are there exceptions? Absolutely, but not many.

 

2 teams would be a screwed up system. Too easy to have 3 tied for 1st as it is and to say only 2 teams get in would make it even worse than it is now where all teams get in in some districts.

 

I like 4 teams, 3 I could live with but 2 would be a travcesty to a lot of teams who either have better records than the 2 that get in and they don't make it, or a huge mess with tie breakers. There would be a lot of tie breakers and KHSAA way of handling tie breakers as it is is pretty screwed up.

The regular season district play is not the elimination round in any sport, including football. Regular season district play in football provides seeding for the post season, just like it does in other sports (except those districts who choose to ignore regular season district play and draw from a hat). The only difference in football is post season district play is not limited to just the teams in your district, it includes teams from a neighboring district and is seeded. The basic flaw in your reasoning is considering regular season district play as part of the post season or being used for elimination from post season. It isn't that way in any sport.

 

Maybe I am wrong, but do all teams make the playoffs then? All districts with 5 teams in them...all 5 teams move forward? Because if all teams move forward in every district, then I'm wrong. If any teams are eliminated by district play, I am right. I was under the assumption that not every team makes the state playoffs. Is that incorrect?

2 teams would be a screwed up system. Too easy to have 3 tied for 1st as it is and to say only 2 teams get in would make it even worse than it is now where all teams get in in some districts.

 

I like 4 teams, 3 I could live with but 2 would be a travcesty to a lot of teams who either have better records than the 2 that get in and they don't make it, or a huge mess with tie breakers. There would be a lot of tie breakers and KHSAA way of handling tie breakers as it is is pretty screwed up.

 

Good point.

Maybe I am wrong, but do all teams make the playoffs then? All districts with 5 teams in them...all 5 teams move forward? Because if all teams move forward in every district, then I'm wrong. If any teams are eliminated by district play, I am right. I was under the assumption that not every team makes the state playoffs. Is that incorrect?

 

Not all districts with 5 teams get all 5 teams in. Most only get 4 in, not really sure why some like BC's district get all 5 teams in, doesn't make much sense to me. I am guessing that they let all 5 in because there is another district with only 3 teams in it I guess. Even if that is the case, then the 3 team district gets 3 teams in and the district they go up against should get a bye for their #1 seed team. I'd rather see that then let 5 teams in a district get in.

Maybe I am wrong, but do all teams make the playoffs then? All districts with 5 teams in them...all 5 teams move forward? Because if all teams move forward in every district, then I'm wrong. If any teams are eliminated by district play, I am right. I was under the assumption that not every team makes the state playoffs. Is that incorrect?

 

Not every team makes the playoffs - in 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A. Every team does make the playoffs in 1A and 6A since they are limited to 32 teams (4 teams per district). The fact that there are 5 teams in one district and 3 teams in another is what causes the '5th team' to get in to the playoffs - to even the brackets.

 

There were 226 teams a few years ago. The current format allows for 192 teams to get into the playoffs (4 x 8 x 6). So approximately (I am not sure the current total of teams in the state) 34 teams are left out. I would have to assume that those 34 teams (less than 15%) feel like dirt to have their season end after game 10 and not even have a chance in the post season when the vast majority of the state is geared up for the post season.

 

To squelch the complaining of small schools and large schools 1A and 6A were arbitrarily limited to 32 teams. The means these teams will always get into the playoffs, while more teams in the middle class sizes are left out. This ARBITRARY (I use the word intentionally) method give an advantage to the 1A and 6A teams - guaranteeing them an 11th game. Districts in 2A-5A with 5 or 6 teams per district have no such guarantee causing in inequitable result for teams and players based a purely arbitrary rule. Basically, it is literally constitutionally wrong. But it seems bowing to coaches concerns is a key method of KHSAA.

Not all districts with 5 teams get all 5 teams in. Most only get 4 in, not really sure why some like BC's district get all 5 teams in, doesn't make much sense to me. I am guessing that they let all 5 in because there is another district with only 3 teams in it I guess. Even if that is the case, then the 3 team district gets 3 teams in and the district they go up against should get a bye for their #1 seed team. I'd rather see that then let 5 teams in a district get in.

 

That's what I thought. So teams do get eliminated by in-season district play in football, correct? And that's my point. They elimate, but allow 4 to move forward. In other sports, they elimiate and only two move forward. HOW the district eliminations are determined differently from sport to sport, but the process of using a DISTRICT PROCESS is the same. The intent is to have an outcome where some teams stay home and some move on. In other sports, 2 teams move on...AND THEY ONLY HAVE ONE STATE CHAMP!

 

For those of you that are new to this area of football thing, it used to be 4 teams advance and only 4 classes. But the districts were larger too (7-9 teams). Which means a very lower percentage of teams EARNED their way to the playoffs (so 50% made the playoffs, now what 98% make the playoffs?). The playoffs were outstanding! Now Yes, you'd have an occasional blowout, but most games were competitive and worth the trip to play them. All seeds had a chance to win. And yes, occasionally a pretty good team was left out, but you knew that ahead of time and your district games (during the regular season) were very important! It was very exciting for the fans and players. As a player, you were very proud of what you acheived by just making the playoffs! That's the way it should be. You had to be concerned that you may not make it. But again, you knew that before you ever take the field! Earn your way in!!!

That's what I thought. So teams do get eliminated by in-season district play in football, correct? And that's my point. They elimate, but allow 4 to move forward. In other sports, they elimiate and only two move forward. HOW the district eliminations are determined differently from sport to sport, but the process of using a DISTRICT PROCESS is the same. The intent is to have an outcome where some teams stay home and some move on. In other sports, 2 teams move on...AND THEY ONLY HAVE ONE STATE CHAMP!

 

For those of you that are new to this area of football thing, it used to be 4 teams advance and only 4 classes. But the districts were larger too (7-9 teams). Which means a very lower percentage of teams EARNED their way to the playoffs (so 50% made the playoffs, now what 98% make the playoffs?). The playoffs were outstanding! Now Yes, you'd have an occasional blowout, but most games were competitive and worth the trip to play them. All seeds had a chance to win. And yes, occasionally a pretty good team was left out, but you knew that ahead of time and your district games (during the regular season) were very important! It was very exciting for the fans and players. As a player, you were very proud of what you acheived by just making the playoffs! That's the way it should be. You had to be concerned that you may not make it. But again, you knew that before you ever take the field! Earn your way in!!!

 

Yes, teams do get eliminated during district play if their district has more than 4 teams...unless for NKY 6A which I still don't understand. They have 5 and all 5 get in. Whoever is the bottom seed in that district plays in another district playoff bracket.

 

but Cooper, Conner, So. Oldham, Scott and Grant County are all in the same 5A district but only 4 get in.

I don't want to get into a "who's right and who's wrong" type of thing...but, I do see where the regular season district play in football is used as an elimination from the post season. In a 5 team district (like Cooper's), only 4 teams make it. And, as such, this year it came down to who won the game between Cooper and Grant. Winner advances (as the #4 seed), and the loser stays home. In basketball, the regular season district games also determine seedings...but, it's not like anyone gets eliminated in the regular season.

 

The simplest solution that I've seen so far, without throwing everything out and starting over (different classes, etc.) is what RockPride mentioned earlier...only 3 teams advance from each district (whether they've got 4 teams or 5), and the top 1 gets a bye. It pretty much allows you to keep the same postseason schedule you have right now, and really lays out an incentive to be a #1 seed from the regular season.

 

Maybe I am wrong, but do all teams make the playoffs then? All districts with 5 teams in them...all 5 teams move forward? Because if all teams move forward in every district, then I'm wrong. If any teams are eliminated by district play, I am right. I was under the assumption that not every team makes the state playoffs. Is that incorrect?

 

Yes, there are a couple districts with 5 teams where the fifth place team does not make the district. If those exceptions of 3 or 4 teams make you right in your mind, congratulations. The fact still remains that the current model for football is the closest model to what happens in other sports.

 

As we go through this argument again, I think of kids I have seen compete in post season in a number of sports. They knew they had zero chance of winning ... zero. But they still showed up and participated. Why? Why did they "waste our time" filling a lane on a track or in a pool? Why did that team take a time slot in a district tournament and make umpires, referees, volunteers and administrators have to deal with the work?

 

Ladies and gentleman, stop thinking about the winning or the ugly losing or whether a game is worth watching. These kids want to compete. Yes, even when they know there is no chance of winning. They practice hard. They build friendships with coaches and teammates. They learn team work and dealing with people, good and bad, as they work toward a goal and being the best they can be. The team Highlands plays in round one in football ... those kids on the other team will show up and try their best and be glad they did despite the result. These kids are learning who they are and challenging themselves. So what if they suffer a huge loss in the playoffs. They got an experience they can learn from and that is what is most important. The first time a team says they would rather forfeit than play their playoff game, I will reconsider my position. Until then, let as many kids compete as long as is reasonable and good luck to all of them.

That's what I thought. So teams do get eliminated by in-season district play in football, correct? And that's my point. They elimate, but allow 4 to move forward. In other sports, they elimiate and only two move forward. HOW the district eliminations are determined differently from sport to sport, but the process of using a DISTRICT PROCESS is the same. The intent is to have an outcome where some teams stay home and some move on. In other sports, 2 teams move on...AND THEY ONLY HAVE ONE STATE CHAMP!

For those of you that are new to this area of football thing, it used to be 4 teams advance and only 4 classes. But the districts were larger too (7-9 teams). Which means a very lower percentage of teams EARNED their way to the playoffs (so 50% made the playoffs, now what 98% make the playoffs?). The playoffs were outstanding! Now Yes, you'd have an occasional blowout, but most games were competitive and worth the trip to play them. All seeds had a chance to win. And yes, occasionally a pretty good team was left out, but you knew that ahead of time and your district games (during the regular season) were very important! It was very exciting for the fans and players. As a player, you were very proud of what you acheived by just making the playoffs! That's the way it should be. You had to be concerned that you may not make it. But again, you knew that before you ever take the field! Earn your way in!!!

In Indiana...All 350+ teams make the playoffs.

I don't have a problem. All those other sports you mention... they can lose the second district game and yet make the regional playoffs. One and done in football. Sure, I like the three class system where Jeffferson County was the AAA and all other schools were AA or A. Then the state schools complained and wanted a shot at Jefferson County. So 4A was created in 1975. The state at large champ vs the Jefferson Co champ for the title. Then that was deemed unfair because Louisville area was guaranteed a team in the final. Yawn. Then the KHSAA split up the Jefferson County teams across more districts and guess what? Two Jefferson County teams could reach the 4A championship game. Followed by the creation of the 6A system more champions!!!! Balfour loves it. Then, Heavens forbid, a Trinity-St. Xavier final occurred more than other folks liked and the SUPER DISTRICT was created. Pay close attention....only the 6A schools rotate their district opponents each season. Teams didn't want to get eliminated every year by the same team. As if Central, Highlands and Bowling Green are not dominating their classes....those schools don't have an issue playing the same teams every year in the playoffs. Happy an 0-10 team can still take the state trophy home under the right set of circumstances in 6A or class A.

Not sure why so much energy is wasted on worrying about this. Does it really keep anyone up at night be there are 6 classes and most of the teams get in the playoffs? If the schools getting blown out in the first round have an issue then don't play the game and forfeit.