Schools see new playoff format
FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida High School Athletic Association’s radical new proposal for deciding how schools will qualify for playoffs and be classified across various sports was presented to a number of representatives from South Florida schools’ athletic programs at Calvary Christian on Tuesday.
Justin Harrison, the FHSAA’s associate executive director for athletic services, led the presentation along with Will Adams, the state governing body’s contract administration specialist. They pitched it to three different groups of 50-60 people all together — mostly athletic directors but also some coaches.
Harrison and Adams explained that change has been demanded from a number schools who have felt they can never compete the way teams are currently classified, which is based on student enrollment. Harrison argued it’s an outdated idea that the FHSAA has used as precedent dating back to 1931 and that much has changed in high school athletics since then.
The proposed system, which would impact basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and girls volleyball, pits the state’s top 64 teams against each other in an elite division. Then the following 64 teams are placed in Division 2. Divisions 3-6 involve an equal split of remaining schools participating in that sport.
“We want every student athlete to have something to play for when that season starts,” Adams told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The idea is the best compete against the best while lesser teams compete for state championships against others at their same competitive level.
“A lot of things we hear is …‘My program cannot compete against this program,’ ” Harrison said. “So we’re trying to find a model that fits all schools. School systems are consistently changing, and I think we
need to change with them when it comes to high school athletics to get a fair shot for everyone involved.”
Part of the impetus for the change is to create more excitement from the elite programs, whonowhave an ultra-meaningful state championship to play for, all the way on down to traditionally losing programs, who now have a chance to win in a lower division.
While many are in favor, there’s a concern fromsome locally that the new system would prevent many top South Florida teams from winning titles.
St. Thomas Aquinas athletic director George Smith pulled out a sheet with listings of state champions in boys basketball over the last few years and read them aloud during the second session. He noted the number of South Florida tricounty teams winning and how the proposed system only forces all those deserving teams to eliminate each other while average teams end up coming away with state titles in lower divisions.
“This proposal will take all those [state championshipschools in this three-county area and put them in one class,” said Smith, who is in favor of keeping the current system in place. “They’re going to knock themselves off and never have a chance.
“I really believe it’s a north-south deal a little bit. There was a statement that the contingency of the association asked for this change. Well, there’s no- body that I’ve talked to today that voiced any idea about wanting something like this. I don’t get it.”
Others raised concerns over how the system will draw more of the public schools’ area talents over to schools competing in the top two divisions and that transfers will mount up evenmore than they already are.
Divisional classification would be tentatively determined by a previous twoyear average basedoncalculated power rankings, possibly fromMaxPreps, which account wins and losses and strength of schedule.
Districts would be done away with and teamswould qualify for the playoffs as one of eight from eight regions for a 64-team postseason bracket in each division. All 64 teams in Divisions 1 and 2would reach the postseason since they are grouped among the elite.
Teamswould create their own schedules entirely. Thataspect drewother concernsfromschoolreps, worried itmay not benefit traditional neighborhood rivalries on the basis of losing points in certain scenarios.
As the FHSAA continues to present the proposal throughout July andAugust across Florida, it will be discussed by the Board of Directors at their meetings in Gainesville on Sept. 23-24. On Oct. 29, the Board of Directors is tentatively scheduled to vote on the issue with potential implementation beginning with the 2019-20 school year.
dfurones@ sunsentinel.com / @DavidFurones_