Since the All “A” Tournament has started or getting ready to start in most regions I thought we could discuss what the guidelines are for what dictates who is an “A” school.  Now that there is a “2A” tournament it seems like some schools enrollment would indicate they should be in “2A” and not “A”.  Can anyone educate me on what makes a school an “A” school?

I believe the All "A" Classic is for the 125 smallest schools by overall enrollment (9-12) in the state. They used to measure every season but I think it is now every two years.

As for the 2A, I want to think it is "larger than All A but less than 1,000 total students," although I could be wrong. Not every school participates in the 2A, although it appears more have started to in the last year or so.

The  All A tournament is made up of the smallest 125 school enrollments in the state and uses the same 16 region format that is used by the KHSAA for their March tournament. There is not a set enrollment number. It is fluid from one year to the next. If an All A school chooses not to play in the tournament, which some do, then whoever was the 126th on the list will move up and be eligible.
The enrollment numbers are higher now than they were in the past because small schools have been gobbled up statewide due to consolidations. In the 1990s there were many more All A schools, such as (from my region) Fleming-Neon, Whitesburg, old Letcher High, and Dilce Combs. Statewide schools such as Maysville, Harrodsburg, some of the McCracken Co schools, Allen Central, South Floyd, numerous Pike Co schools, etc. That’s why the enrollment number qualifications have edged upward well over 500 and has permitted many schools who years ago could not have played in the All A to now be able to do so. 

Also, and someone correct me if I’m mistaken, the All A Classic and the 2A tournament have different organizers. These two tournaments, although statewide events, are basically just huge invitational tournaments. They are not connected and have different qualifications and rules. So the guidelines for one and the guidelines for the other could be different. 

26 minutes ago, The Professor said:

Also, and someone correct me if I’m mistaken, the All A Classic and the 2A tournament have different organizers. These two tournaments, although statewide events, are basically just huge invitational tournaments. They are not connected and have different qualifications and rules. So the guidelines for one and the guidelines for the other could be different. 

This is true... they are not connected with each other or the KHSAA for that matter

It sounds like it might make sense for those that oversee the All “A” to take a hard look at the smallest 125 schools and adjust that number to continue to make it a true small school tournament.  I get that there is not a set enrollment number but it seems like that number used to be around 325 and now it has risen to 500-600.

Welcome to BGP @NKY KID!

44 minutes ago, NKY KID said:

It sounds like it might make sense for those that oversee the All “A” to take a hard look at the smallest 125 schools and adjust that number to continue to make it a true small school tournament.  I get that there is not a set enrollment number but it seems like that number used to be around 325 and now it has risen to 500-600.

Don't know that limiting the field to the smallest 125 gets you where you think it does. Per the RPI stats - 125/275 boys teams (45.5%) and 125/266 girls teams (47.0%) still puts 2A+ football size schools in play. 

@The Professor is spot on - school consolidation was a game changer.

Welcome to BGP @NKY KID.

As a KY HS Track & Field fan, a mental shortcut that's helped me wrap my head around who is an "All A" school is  referencing the KHSAA's 1A (of 3 Classes) alignment for that sport. 

Those "1A/All A" schools in their 7 Regions ~

1 hour ago, Runcible Owl said:

Welcome to BGP @NKY KID.

As a KY HS Track & Field fan, a mental shortcut that's helped me wrap my head around who is an "All A" school is  referencing the KHSAA's 1A (of 3 Classes) alignment for that sport. 

Those "1A/All A" schools in their 7 Regions ~

I counted 124 there, so that would align with the theory of smallest 125 schools.

Man this really has my brain spinning!  We have six classes in football, three classes in track and mostly all other sports are non- classified.  I would think following the football classifications would probably get you closer to what I would consider “A” vs “2A” than that of track.  

I probably wasn’t exactly clear earlier.  Maybe the number is no longer the smallest 125 but the smallest 90 or 100 schools to get it closer to what it was meant to be as a small school tournament.  Consolidation has definitely played a role with the numbers.

Are we going to get into the conversation of classifying basketball? I could read that argument all day lol.....

I thought All A was for schools with an enrollment under 500. 

3 hours ago, brooksville said:

I thought All A was for schools with an enrollment under 500. 

It might have started that way (I actually think the original enrollment numbers were based on grades 10-12), but it has been the smallest 120-125 schools for many years, no matter the high end number.