UIL considering radical football realignment plan

[SptsEd]

04/13/2007

 

Associated Press

 

The complicated system used to provide competitive balance in Texas high school football could get a radical overhaul under a plan being considered by the University Interscholastic League.

 

The UIL redraws competitive districts every two years. The plan to be formally presented in June would carve all UIL football classifications into two divisions for football.

 

The split-division system would need approval from superintendents and coaches. It could be in place in time for the 2008-09 school year.

 

Charles Breithaupt, UIL athletic director, said the proposal would increase competitive balance by grouping more schools of similar size together.

 

"I think this plan has a lot of merit," Breithaupt told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published Friday. "There might be problems we haven't seen or thought of. But it looks pretty solid at this point. It just makes more sense to put teams into the same division at the beginning of the year instead of the end."

 

The UIL split the Class 5A postseason teams into two divisions in 1991 and that system grew to cover playoff teams in all classes. Of the three teams in each district that qualify for the playoffs, the largest school is placed in one division, while the other two are placed in a second.

 

The 5A playoff field was expanded last year to include four teams per district, with the largest two schools entering Division I and the smaller two in Division II.

 

The format was designed to prevent smaller schools from competing in the playoffs against opponents with significantly larger enrollments.

 

Results have been mixed. Last season, for example, the "small-school" 5A champion, Cedar Hill, had a larger enrollment than "big-school" winner Southlake Carroll.

 

Under the new proposal, each class will be split into two, 16-district divisions before the start of the season.

 

"No matter how you divide the schools, you're always going to have teams in the bottom range who are not going to be happy," Breithaupt said. "But if you look at it globally, we think it's pretty good."

 

The model was taken from a system used last year at the six-player level. Teams initially bombarded the UIL with complaints, but they eventually embraced the change.

 

"I thought it worked out great, and so does everyone I've talked to," said Calvert coach Coylin Grimes. "Any time you have something new, people are going to reject it. But they told us it was going to be great for the smaller schools, and they were right."

[okietransplant]

confused. if they are talking about doing that in all classes for football and already do it for 1a in basketball, what's the hold off on doing it for all UIL activities?

 

I'm not saying that ANY of it is right, just trying to figure out ~sigh~ UIL's thought process...

[WETSU]

i think it wouldnt be a bad idea...I hate seeing teams that are a few kids from dropping a class up against teams that are few kids from the next class. I know in certain instances that there are hundreds of kids difference. I know in 2a that the limit is around 220- 420..."not sure on the exact numbers. But i know for a school with 220-230 it can be tough to compete with a school nearly twice your size. Not making excusses or anything. But i think there is definatly a better way somewhere out there.

[Mavchamp]

Makes you wonder how things would be divided up.

 

Currently there are 14 schools in East Texas in 4A. We have no idea what the cut off between 4A Div I and 4A Div II would be. So we can divide them 50/50 based on last years enrollment numbers.....

 

4A Div I

Nacogdoches (1,862)

Texas High (1,719)

Marshall (1,710)

Mt. Pleasant (1,405)

Pine Tree (1,394)

Whitehouse (1,255)

Jacksonville (1,236)

 

4A Div II

Hallsville (1,193)

Sulphur Springs (1,190)

Kilgore (1,108)

Henderson (1,008)

North Lamar (1,001)

Paris (979)

Lindale 975)

 

What would be interesting would be to see if Paris and Lindale would maybe drop to 3A.... forcing some DFW schools into East Texas.

 

OR...

 

Nac, Marshall, or Texas High being moved into 5A div II (maybe with Longview, JT, etc)....... what would that do to the remaining 4A's? Would Hallsville and such move up to Div I or would 4A div I join some DFW schools. (forney, mesquite poteet, Highland Park?)

 

Crazy stuff.

 

Next alignment will be interesting. Especially if this passes this summer.

[bordertown]

Why not just add an additional classification or two. You are essentially going from 5 classes to 10 classes. Using the Class 4A midpoint of 1437 to split the class into two groups (229 schools). The large school would have 120 teams and same group would be 109 schools. Here is the hypothetical 4A large school classification for East Texas-

 

Texas High (1719.5)

Marshall (1696)

Nacogdoches (1862.5)

Tyler JT (2106) - assuming cutoff may be 2100 class

Longview (2217) - Ditto JT

Greenville (1427) - ?????????? not sure if school is growing with DFW creeping growth

 

Ennis (1504.5) - if 8 team district

Corsicana (1519.5) -if 8 team district.

 

Could be alot of windshield time for rural schools in largest 3 classifications.

[bordertown]

I do think part of the motivation is the UIL could have 2 teams from each district, have a 5 week playoff season, but actually increase playoff revenues to UIL. Don't think the dollar is not behind the move.

[Mavchamp]

no doubt $ is a factor.

 

but I think the driving force is that there is no room left in 5A for new schools even though there are more and more schools with 5A enromment that exist. They don't have anywhere else to put them.

 

4A is almost as full as 5A.

 

And the lower classifications has serious issues with some schools in the same district with them that are 2 or 3 times their enrollment. Which is suppose to be prevented by alignment.

 

Still.... to me.... formation of a 6A seems most logical.

 

But since when has logic had anything to do with decisions made by the UIL?

[bordertown]

That and the increase in enrollment to accommedate 5A Classification is causing " enrollment inequities in lower classes. To accommedate that concern you may need to create several new classications. While I am concerned how much travel schools like Texas High, Marshall and Nac will incur, it is dwarfed by the travel west of I-35.

 

A potential solution would be to have Districts of combined classes in rural area.

[Mavchamp]

I agree 100%. The travel in West Texas always has and always will be a problem. No matter what the UIL decides to do.

 

This was when I was really too young to remember.....

 

But thinking about DISTRICT games between

 

Lufkin and Texrkana.... 175 miles

Jacksonville Vs. Texarkana..... 159 miles

Texarkana and Nacogdoches.....155 miles

Whitehouse and Texarkana .....143 miles

 

I know that pales in comparison to what West Texas drives..... but nothing to sneeze at either.

 

Something is going to have to give.

[catman55]

Who knows what the UIL is thinking. If the 4A dividing line is 1200 then Hallsville would probably go Div. I. HHS should have over 1250 enrollment by the time to report your numbers to the UIL rolls around in October.

[bordertown]

My guess it is closer to 1450 to 1475 using today's #s.

[maroonandwhite34]

I like this idea cuz White Oak(400) has had the problems of playing schools twice their size. The past 2 years we had Carthage in our district(800). This change could prevent things such as that.

[Longhorn Fan]

If it will make extra revenue for the UIL you can bet your fanny it will pass!

[KirtFalcon]

It makes a lot of sense to me. The closer schools are to each other enrollment wise the better, especially in the 1A-3A classifications.

[JackFan]

Although football is the driving force behind the UIL machine, think about the travel involved for volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball. What if you were having to travel some of those distances twice a week?

[bordertown]

Here is how I would see the small 3A divisions shaking out with today's alignment. Assumed the break at 650 enrollment.

 

Pleasant Grove

Atlanta

Mt Vernon

Gladewater

Spring Hill

White Oak

 

 

Mineola

Sabine

Canton

Bullard

Rusk

Diboll

 

Westwood

Mexia

Madisonville

Grosbeck

Fairfield

Crockett

 

 

Currently White Oak has a 40 bus ride to Mineola and a 20 mile ride to Gilmer. I there is a good chance that they will lose the grueling rides with a 90 mile ride to Texarkana, 65 to Atlanta, and 60 miles to Mt Vernon. Pleasant Grove & Atlanta's closest bus ride is 25 miles with the remainder 75 to 90 miles (PG). The costs of athletics will rise small communities. The question is are the athletic fans going to feel so strongly for these changes they will vote to raise taxes. These are the questions each superindent must ask and make a determination.

 

Interesting fact - District #2 has one team - Presido - and they do not play football. How many rural schools will drop football at their schools. It is easier to compete in basketball, baseball, volleyball, etc and find games with neighboring towns than it is to find a school with 200 willing to play a school with 600 in football.

 

The positive side is some East Texas schools have a problem finding nondistrict games (Texas High). Schools like Marshall, Nac, Whitehouse, etc do not want to play Texas High (and I believe vice versa) as they may be matched in the first round of the playoffs. New classes would allow schools in a class above or below to match up.

[bordertown]

Originally posted by Longhorn Fan

If it will make extra revenue for the UIL you can bet your fanny it will pass!

 

Not if it costs the school districts money. It will be the superintendents that have the final say.

 

My prediction we go from 5 to 7 classifications. The ratio between the smallest and largest schools below the largest class will be reduced to a ratio of 1.7X. The largest classification may have enrollments of 2700+.

[HoosierDaddy]

I kinda like the way it is now! How many teams that would have been state champs have been left out of the current system. probably 0. This is an idea that will only water down an already diluted system. Leave the districts alone and take the best three and split them after the reg. season. Tatum would have beaten alot of 4a teams over the past few seasons so the size differential doesn't concern me. The best teams won't be affected so why make it easier to get a few more schools in the playoffs so they can lose to teams who will be there regardless.

[raider24]

The biggest problem is the vast difference in enrollment between schools of the same district, primarily 3A.

 

The 3A gap is just too wide. The current range is 415-975

 

Here's one of hundreds of examples:

 

Sabine reported 416.5 in October 2005 (which included several Katrina & Rita refugees) Then, on Feb. 2nd 2006, the day re-alignments were announced, their enrollment was already down to 390. Yet they missed 2A by 1.5 students (Hurricane victims - long gone)

 

So a school w/ 390 students was in a district with schools with over 800 students. Those are tough odds - especially when football comes around.

[orange80]

This is a great idea for the smaller schools, especially in 3A, where the big and small breakout after the season ends still (usually) has all the big schools representing in the playoffs.

[Bballer073001]

so what school in sabines district is at 800 or above

[Minoh]

Gilmer

[findog28]

4A Div II

Hallsville (1,193)

Sulphur Springs (1,190)

Kilgore (1,108)

Henderson (1,008)

North Lamar (1,001)

Paris (979)

Lindale 975)

 

What would be interesting would be to see if Paris and Lindale would maybe drop to 3A.... forcing some DFW schools into East Texas.

 

 

Next alignment will be interesting. Especially if this passes this summer. Lindale dropping into 3A isn't going to happen. Lindale's enrollment will be at least between 1100-1200.

[Basketball09]

IF its not broke don't fix it.

[Duck208]

It is broke.