I Need At Least 300 Responses To This

[Hearsay]

Now that the regular season is under our belts, and reflecting back upon the season and the KHSAA changes made prior to the year re: 6 classes, playoff re-alignment, district alignment and scheduling, do you believe that the KHSAA has rendered the regular football season essentially meaningless, or have new rivalries been created and the regular season was a success?

 

I would like as many thoughts and perspectives on this as possible.

[Qryche11]

I am all for the realignment and hope it stays this way. It creates more local rivalrys and creates less travel for most teams.

[3ptshooter]

Back to the old days w/the top two teams going to the playoffs, period..... Too many bad teams making the playoffs only to add a bad game for a good team and for what, so everyone gets a taste of the playoff atmosphere. Financially, hurts both teams in the long run.

[JCHS_EAGLE_4_LIFE]

I believe it was a good thing and did make some good matchups. It will take a few years to see how its going to work out...

[Cardinal1826]

In the same respect i don't believe a team like Beechwood, who has an independant status, should be able to stay in 1A due to their enrollment numbers. The realignment has basically made it a cake walk to the playoffs and state finals for teams like these.

[Big K 61]

With teams playing their district foes for the second time in the playoffs, the regular season is more for feeling the teams out. I think the district title should be decided during the season, like it used to be. That is something they should have left alone.

[Bear78]

I like the way it has opened up the opportunities to play different teams than usual. I do think, however, that the playoff scenario is just plain silly. I like the idea of the 1 and 2 teams in the district playing outside the district with the possiblity of meeting again down the line. The way it is set now if a team is in a strong district they don't have a chance to build the momentum a team might get winning playoff games against new opponents. (I guess that's why the game is played.....)

[Stevekahn]

I like the new allignment, except that the district games should, if possible, be played at the end of regular season instead of mid-season. The new allignment gives more good teams a chance at a championship, and increases competitiveness.

[Jim Schue]

I don't care for it, for a variety of reasons:

 

District schedule ends too early for most teams, forcing teams to have to peak twice in some cases, and rendering the last few weeks of the regular season meaningless. Used to be there was always a whole slate of games across the state the last weekend of the regular season where playoff berths and whether you got a home game or had to hit the road were on the line, making for great drama. Most playoff matchups were decided 2-3 weeks ago.

 

Too few district games, forcing some schools to have to take whatever games they can get to fill out their schedule. This makes "scheduling with a purpose" — where a coach chooses non-district opponents that may emulate teams they'll see in the district or on down the road in the playoffs — a difficult prospect. With fewer locked-in district games, some teams might end up having to schedule beyond their means, or pick up a team they may end up beating by 60, because there's nobody left. Another problem I've noticed is good teams in small classes can't get games against other teams in their class, and are forced to "play up" all season long (see Bardstown's schedule for example) against bigger schools, risking injuries to key players.

 

Six classes is too many. Period. Too many teams getting into the playoffs, too many teams ranked. Strange district pairings with extreme distances traveled, costing schools much $$$ with high gas prices. Too many meaningless non-district games.

 

I've got others, but this is what I can come up with right now off the top of my head.

[pirate1960]

I'd rather go back to the old way,even though there are some different match ups between different teams, but it seems to me 6 classes are to many,and to many teams are making the play offs this way..Just my opinion though.

[Jim Schue]

I would've preferred to vote A. and C.

[footballf@n4life]

I think district teams should be seperated in the playoffs, its crazy for two of the top teams in the district to play again in second round of playoffs. I think many others feel the same way, need new blood. Schools just dont want to spend the money to play too far from home, but that is what post season football should be about, playing teams from other districts!

[kydlineguy]

I'm having thoughts about the new clasifacation in KY. I just can't seem to get ovewr the fact that 1-9 or possibly 0-10 can get in

[AcesFull]

I have no problem with more teams making the playoffs, but Kentucky is much too small to warrant 6 classes in football. The regular season was no more or less exciting than usual, but the state championships lose some of their past luster. You may consider my non-vote to be a vote for "none of the above."

[jrjohnson]

I don't like it. It makes some of the games meaningless. Go to fewer classes and increase some of the competition inteh districts. District titles should be determined by the season, not how they are doing playing each other again in the playoffs.

 

What is worse is the way the playoffs are set up. Go to 8 districts and take the top two, put them in the opposite sides of the bracket (if the two teams from teh same district meet inthe playoffs, it is for the championship). More than half of the teams in the 2A playoffs are 5-5 or worse overall, with 10 having a 3-7 or worse record. The playoffs should be competitive and should not inlude every team in the state (except one). It makes the season longer than need be and costs teams and the state more money than need be.