10 hours ago, new fan said:

The playing field will never be even. But we should try and keep kids in the field.

I think the focus should be on how to maximize participation knowing every team won’t have a chance to win state or even compete for it. 

I strongly believe kids can get a lot out of football regardless of their team’s record. 
I do think the current system that sends 0-10 or 1-9 teams to the slaughtered in the first round of the playoffs discourages kids from playing the next year. A 6 hour round trip for a guaranteed whooping to end the year can’t help a program. 

I also think schools that consistently dominate their division should want to move up. What does a team or a kid  from never being challenged?

I agree with most of your comments here but will add this - scheduling.

For those teams that are 0-10 or 1-9, get the schedule to where they have a chance for more wins. District play only accounts for half or less of a schedule. Put teams on the other half of the schedule where your team can be competitive and get wins.

For those dominating teams, almost all of them do get challenged. Look at their non district schedules. They are playing teams they have to be at their best to win against. 

As you said, teams get a lot out of football regardless of record. Schedule appropriately for where your program to what your team needs - be it a couple wins or a deep playoff run and a real chance for a title.

Also, I will ask again - what is the problem we are trying to fix?

To me this is a typical KHSAA move.  Get everyone up in arms about what could happen.  Make minimal changes...allow schools to move up (which theoretically moves schools down) next cycle (they change this up every 10 years or so)...threaten intra district play (Look Coaches things could be worse if you complain too much).  

The haves will keep on having (saying you all need to work harder and invest more) and have nots will keep on struggling/complaining ( we don't have the resources to compete).

No matter what the change is...this will keep on happening!

The idea of moving a team up 2 classes is absolutely stupid.  Therefore, I expect the KHSAA to adopt it.  

3 hours ago, Three Blind Mice said:

The idea of moving a team up 2 classes is absolutely stupid.  Therefore, I expect the KHSAA to adopt it.  

Let’s go back to FOUR classes so that doesn’t happen!!!?

3 hours ago, okie1 said:

To me this is a typical KHSAA move.  Get everyone up in arms about what could happen.  Make minimal changes...allow schools to move up (which theoretically moves schools down) next cycle (they change this up every 10 years or so)...threaten intra district play (Look Coaches things could be worse if you complain too much).  

The haves will keep on having (saying you all need to work harder and invest more) and have nots will keep on struggling/complaining ( we don't have the resources to compete).

No matter what the change is...this will keep on happening!

I agree this is the KHSAA gaslighting the membership and it is one of the few complaints I have about Commissioner Tackett. 

3 hours ago, Three Blind Mice said:

The idea of moving a team up 2 classes is absolutely stupid.  Therefore, I expect the KHSAA to adopt it.  

Obviously I put that out there as a hypothetical but if you think about the KHSAA's saber rattling here they can only really be talking about four teams from where I sit.  You can't move up from 6A so that eliminates T and X so no teams in 6A are being targeted. If Deuce Bailey didn't attend Bowling Green they wouldn't be on anyone's radar and they were bad last year so no teams in 5A are being targeted.  In 1A, no one has been dominant unless you take into account all Raceland's runner-up finishes so no teams in 1A are being targeted.  In my opinion that only leaves four schools.  Boyle County in 4A, CAL in 3A, and Beechwood/LCA in 2A.  If the KHSAA moved each of those schools up two classes almost everyone would be happy except those four schools (maybe excluding CAL) and everyone in 5A. 

6 hours ago, theguru said:

Obviously I put that out there as a hypothetical but if you think about the KHSAA's saber rattling here they can only really be talking about four teams from where I sit.  You can't move up from 6A so that eliminates T and X so no teams in 6A are being targeted. If Deuce Bailey didn't attend Bowling Green they wouldn't be on anyone's radar and they were bad last year so no teams in 5A are being targeted.  In 1A, no one has been dominant unless you take into account all Raceland's runner-up finishes so no teams in 1A are being targeted.  In my opinion that only leaves four schools.  Boyle County in 4A, CAL in 3A, and Beechwood/LCA in 2A.  If the KHSAA moved each of those schools up two classes almost everyone would be happy except those four schools (maybe excluding CAL) and everyone in 5A. 

It all depends on the measuring stick and the time frame.

In 1A, Pikeville has been dominant.

In 2A you have to include Mayfield. 

In 4A, Franklin County comes to mind. Perhaps Johnson Central.

If we look back 5-10 years, think about the dominance of other schools like Belfry and Central.

If a team moves up, how long do they have to play above the class they should be in by school size?

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

It all depends on the measuring stick and the time frame.

In 1A, Pikeville has been dominant.

In 2A you have to include Mayfield. 

In 4A, Franklin County comes to mind. Perhaps Johnson Central.

If we look back 5-10 years, think about the dominance of other schools like Belfry and Central.

If a team moves up, how long do they have to play above the class they should be in by school size?

Hasn't Mayfield only won 2 championships since moving back up to 2A in 2015?  They're always a top 5 team in 2A, but it hasn't led to the domination that they displayed in 1A.  

Pikeville's run of dominance has directly coincided with the move of Mayfield to 2A in 2015, and Beechwood in 2019.  

Franklin County, for all of the good records and teams that they have produced, has yet to win a title.  

13 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

Hasn't Mayfield only won 2 championships since moving back up to 2A in 2015?  They're always a top 5 team in 2A, but it hasn't led to the domination that they displayed in 1A.  

Pikeville's run of dominance has directly coincided with the move of Mayfield to 2A in 2015, and Beechwood in 2019.  

Franklin County, for all of the good records and teams that they have produced, has yet to win a title.  

But what is the criteria? Is it just title driven? Making the semifinals repeatedly? Or the finals multiple times? Over what time period?

And again, what is the problem we are trying to fix?

Edited January 21Jan 21 by Voice of Reason

I think divisions should be separated by schools with open enrollment and schools that don't have open enrollment. Schools that get students from anywhere have advantage over schools that have resides areas. Private schools would be in the open enrollment division. Once determine how many schools are in each division then separate into classes by enrollment. 

17 minutes ago, Tigerpride94 said:

I think divisions should be separated by schools with open enrollment and schools that don't have open enrollment. Schools that get students from anywhere have advantage over schools that have resides areas. Private schools would be in the open enrollment division. Once determine how many schools are in each division then separate into classes by enrollment. 

The KHSAA rules are the same for all schools. 

On 1/17/2026 at 8:47 PM, theguru said:

What is stopping Lewis County from withdrawing from district play and playing a schedule that is right for them?  I have the same question about any other football program considering giving up.

And we certainly don't want to make overarching decisions about Kentucky High School Football based on schools thinking about giving up their football program. 

I appreciate what @ChiefSmoke mentioned about our county.  There is no doubt that we are struggling right now.  We tell our players that  NO ONE cares about your excuses, so I am not going to make any here.  We're not the only team that has low numbers, low industry, low resources, low whatever you want to say, so we can't use that as an excuse.  Has adversity hit our program hard since Coach Dalton Stamm took over?  1000% yes.  Every program in this state has dealt with adversity, some more than others, but at the end of the day, it's on us to get us out of the hole we're currently in.  As to @theguru mentioning dropping out of district, that is an option that has been discussed.  The benefits aren't as great as one would think.  We would likely play most teams that are on our schedule anyway.  We have gone 0-10 the last two seasons, scoring 90 and 91 respectively, while giving up 454 and 411 respectively.  We have had 3 seniors each of the past two seasons.  To say we are down right now would be an understatement.  Our solution...our kids are busting their butts to get better.  Like coach Mike Leach said, we are "embracing the hard, we aren't looking for the easy." Lewis County used to have a reputation of playing tough, physical football.  You might beat us, but you will feel it Saturday morning.  We are working to get back to that.  As long as I've been a part of the Lewis County program, we've always been in a district with more than 4 teams.  When we make the playoffs it means something to us.  We have never won a playoff game, and we want to change that.  Winning football games is tough for us, but creating tough, accountable young men is the byproduct of that...and we're ok with that.  If the KHSAA moved us to 6A, we might not win a game in 10 years, but I can guarantee that we would do everything we could...Just like every other program in the state.  At this time, we have no intention of dropping out of district.  We played 2 games this season with 15 available players, and if it comes to it, we'll play all 10 games that way this upcoming season. I know going winless the last two seasons gives me the smallest soapbox ever to stand on, but we are embracing the hard...We are fighting the good fight versus adversity.  Success will find us again someday, in terms of wins vs. losses...but with the quality of young men that are fighting through these hard times, and learning the hard lessons along the way, maybe it already has.

This may have already been covered—and if so, I apologize—but after reading through several pages, I think this needs to be said. If the proposed model holds true (similar to the one originally shown by @theguru), it really doesn’t change much outside of 1A.

Most champions or dominant teams are already capable of competing—and winning—in the class above them. But if you move those teams up while also removing the other top-tier programs from that class, the result is the same: someone new just becomes the dominant team. That doesn’t create competitive balance; it just reshuffles who’s on top.

For example, if CAL moves to 4A but Boyle, Corbin, Franklin, PT, and others are also moved or removed, then CAL likely walks through 4A the same way they do 3A. The label changes, but the outcome doesn’t.

If the intent is to make things more competitive, removing the other competitive teams defeats the purpose. In reality, most champions from this season would likely remain the same across classes, with 1A being the possible exception and 5A being Boyle. That doesn’t feel like meaningful reform—just reclassification without real impact.

1 hour ago, theguru said:

The KHSAA rules are the same for all schools. 

Some schools like in JCPS are limited by school board.

Just now, Tigerpride94 said:

Some schools like in JCPS are limited by school board.

I understand, so are some other schools around the state, but that just brings me back to my comments earlier in the thread:

Where they draw their students (in and/or outside of district lines) - The KHSAA rules are the same for all schools meaning all schools can draw students from wherever they please, some schools/school systems choose not to, but they could if they wanted to.  This would punish schools not breaking any rules in favor of schools wanting additional, restrictive rules.