KFCA Playoff Survey on district play for the first two rounds of the playoffs

[ChiefSmoke]

The KY Football Coaches Association surveyed the KY HS HFC's in response to concerns about the playoffs.

 

Thank you to Julian Tackett & the KHSAA BOC for their willingness to consider this issue in their next meeting.

 

It was overwhelming, our coaches do not want to play in their own district for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

 

Two years ago when we presented our case, we were criticized because only 90 coaches had responded. This time, we had 193. We are doing a much better job of speaking with one voice.

 

Great job by Coach Marc Clark of McCracken Co. HS w/ the graphic!

 

#transparency

 

 

[Unrivaled97]

That's a good return on the survey.  I think there are around 220 schools that play football in KY so over 85% return is pretty good.  Interesting to see the breakdown per class in the voting as well.  I like the cross-district play better myself for the 1st 2 rounds b/c at least you were more than likely to see a little different competition.  Honestly, I don't like the current playoff structure at all even when you get outside of the 1st 2 rounds with the RPI.

[DragonFire]

So I wonder what their excuse for keeping it the same will be now? They scapegoated the low survey turnout last time, even though it was pretty simple to ascertain that it is an unpopular structure. 

[gchs_uk9]

1 hour ago, DragonFire said:

So I wonder what their excuse for keeping it the same will be now? They scapegoated the low survey turnout last time, even though it was pretty simple to ascertain that it is an unpopular structure. 

“We certainly appreciate the efforts of the KFCA - and its member institutions - who didn’t seem too interested the last time a survey was conducted. They’ve put a lot of time into their proposal. Having said that, with all of the uncertainties surrounding Covid, scheduling, and potential cancellations, we have decided to keep the current format. We will reassess in two years.”

[ChiefSmoke]

We (Mercer County)  have much respect for CAL & Henry County. Still, would be big improvement for KY HS football for all of us to have a NEW opponent in November for the first two rounds. Of the 20 games we played in 2019 & 2020, seven of those were vs. CAL or Henry Co.

 

[ColonelMike]

3 hours ago, Unrivaled97 said:

That's a good return on the survey.  I think there are around 220 schools that play football in KY so over 85% return is pretty good.  Interesting to see the breakdown per class in the voting as well.  I like the cross-district play better myself for the 1st 2 rounds b/c at least you were more than likely to see a little different competition.  Honestly, I don't like the current playoff structure at all even when you get outside of the 1st 2 rounds with the RPI.

And the congregation said "Amen!"

[ChiefSmoke]

3 hours ago, Unrivaled97 said:

That's a good return on the survey.  I think there are around 220 schools that play football in KY so over 85% return is pretty good.  Interesting to see the breakdown per class in the voting as well.  I like the cross-district play better myself for the 1st 2 rounds b/c at least you were more than likely to see a little different competition.  Honestly, I don't like the current playoff structure at all even when you get outside of the 1st 2 rounds with the RPI.

Also, several programs were without head coaches at the time of the survey. 

[theguru]

2 minutes ago, ChiefSmoke said:

Also, several programs were without head coaches at the time of the survey. 

In those cases who completed the survey?

[ChiefSmoke]

19 minutes ago, theguru said:

In those cases who completed the survey?

No one. That is part of the reason there is not a response for every school. Even if every coach responded, we would not get to 220 because some schools did not have a head coach. 

[Tigerpride94]

I’m watching KHSAA work group meeting and looks like they want to get feedback from school superintendents to see if they are in support like the coaches. Superintendents may look at it from travel cost standpoint. Won’t be any decision today for sure. One point brought up is every other sport plays district for playoffs so why should football be different?

[gchs_uk9]

There are good ways to do a playoff system that:

a. Allows for better teams to advance.

b. Play closer regular season opponents instead of far-flung district games.

c. Eliminate the blatant manipulation of teams playing up or down to avoid tough districts.

Its been on BGP, it’s been on the commissioner’s  desk.

[DragonFire]

1 hour ago, Tigerpride94 said:

I’m watching KHSAA work group meeting and looks like they want to get feedback from school superintendents to see if they are in support like the coaches. Superintendents may look at it from travel cost standpoint. Won’t be any decision today for sure. One point brought up is every other sport plays district for playoffs so why should football be different?

They always annoy me when that is their argument.  Many of the sports have classes but basketball doesn't, even though many people (not me) think that it should.  It's almost as if there are different factors for different sports......

Does any other sport play as few games as football? For most districts, 30-40% of their entire schedule is already comprised of district opponents.  Mix it up in the postseason, give some variety.  Frankly, cross-bracketing gives a much, much higher chance of upsets happening. 

[ChiefSmoke]

1 hour ago, Tigerpride94 said:

I’m watching KHSAA work group meeting and looks like they want to get feedback from school superintendents to see if they are in support like the coaches. Superintendents may look at it from travel cost standpoint. Won’t be any decision today for sure. One point brought up is every other sport plays district for playoffs so why should football be different?

If we really want to treat all sports the same, then we tell every football school they are in the postseason automatically, they don't have to play everyone in their district in the regular season, & you can do a draw for the postseason district tourney. Football, baseball, & basketball are NOT the same.

[Tigerpride94]

 

[futurecoach]

1 hour ago, ChiefSmoke said:

If we really want to treat all sports the same, then we tell every football school they are in the postseason automatically, they don't have to play everyone in their district in the regular season, & you can do a draw for the postseason district tourney. Football, baseball, & basketball are NOT the same.

The playoffs IMO have always been better, when  teams get to play a different district in the playoffs. Rather than having to play against your own district to start the playoffs. So they simply should just go back to the old way of different districts playing against each other in the playoffs. 
 

If they truly do want to make teams play their own district in the first two rounds though. Then they definitely should do what you just suggested, and not make it mandatory to play teams in your  district in the regular season then. With the state already using an RPI system later in the playoffs. Might as well use that then to seed the teams in a district, since teams wouldn’t have to play each other in the regular season.