Let’s modernize TSSAA’s antiquated system, add some excitement
MURFREESBORO — I sat in the same seat at the end of press row for much of the past two weeks watching basketball.
The TSSAA concluded three weeks of high school basketball state tournaments. That included three days in Cookeville for private school championships and then much of two weeks in Murfreesboro — one week for the public school girls championships and one week for the boys.
Two weeks in the same chair gives plenty of time to come up with ideas on how to change what has become an antiquated playoff system and state tournament format. It’s time to bring it up to the modern-day era.
So here it goes. It’s not as complicated as the TSSAA’s old Z-plan used in football where teams were in three classes during the regular season, then six for the playoffs.
This plan reduces playoff rounds after the TSSAA added a fourth Division I classification and adds power rankings starting with the Sweet 16. And it’s past time to go to Final Fours instead of bringing eight to each public school classification. But there is a big advantage to bringing four teams per gender.
Highlighting the current TSSAA basketball playoff system
Currently, public school teams are in four classifications with each class being in 16 districts and eight regions. Teams start the TSSAA playoffs with district tournaments where four teams advance to the region. It’s important to note that teams can lose twice in the district tournament — the semifinals and consolation game — and still advance to the region tournament.
Region tournaments include four teams from pairing districts. Example:
Districts 1 and 2 compete in Region 1, Districts 3 and 4 compete in Region 2 and so on.
Region tournament finalists qualify for a sectional. The winner hosts a sectional and the loser travels. All sectional winners advance to the state tournament. Seeding for the state tournament is a blind draw with the exception that two teams from the same region cannot meet until the championship game.
Fixing TSSAA’s basketball playoffs starts with eliminating districts
The TSSAA added a fourth Division I classification three seasons ago. While it’s provided another opportunity to win a state championship, it’s also reduced district sizes, meaning numerous fourand five-team districts. That means many times in the district tournament no team or just one team is eliminated. Playing a district tournament in these small leagues takes away from the achievements of a regular season.
The easiest fix? Drop districts and realign teams in eight regions geographically with the top two teams advancing. It eliminates two rounds of teams advancing with losses. Larger regions create a bigger buzz with more at stake with elimination games.
It’s time to add high school basketball power rankings
Each classification has 16 teams after region tournaments are completed. This is the best time to welcome power rankings to seed the remaining teams. The TSSAA has already started discussion of using MaxPreps’ power rankings after a proposal for soccer was tabled for later discussion.
Take those 16 teams, rank them 1 through 16 and make four tournament sites for a super sectional. Let No. 1 play No. 16 at one site, No. 2 play No. 15 at another and so on. Those four sites are set across the state with the top seed playing closest to their school location.
The girls would play on different nights than the boys. The same sites could be used. Could these games be played at colleges? Maybe. Or perhaps large high schools host. Eight girls games on one day, which is essentially the current sectional game. Four played the next night in what would be quarterfinals. Then two nights of boys games.
And a Final Four is set.
Pair boys and girls games per class in TSSAA Final Four tournaments
This could be the best part of the plan.
Put the Division I boys and girls tournaments in the same week with each classification playing the same day.
Here’s an example:
The TSSAA state tournament starts Tuesday with Class 1A games, two boys and two girls semifinals. On Wednesday, the Class 2A semifinals are held. But after the last 2A semifinal is completed, the two Class 1A finals are played. Then Thursday the 3A semifinals and 2A finals are held followed by Friday’s 4A semifinals and 3A finals and finally two 4A championships on Saturday.
This trims down on hotel stays tremendously for teams and fans, especially for schools that qualify both boys and girls to the Final 4. The TSSAA can choose to rotate the schedule.
Why change TSSAA basketball tournament format?
Coaches won’t like this. But the current process is way too drawn out. Teams have been playing for more than a month of playoff games. Two weeks of Division I tournament games have served its purpose.
What if Bartlett boys and girls played the same week and fans and players could support each other? Ditto for Upperman, which brought both to the tournament. Think of the excitement of the possibility of a school playing for a boys and girls championship on the same day. Forget watching the title game on TV. A trip to the championship game is in order if both programs could lift gold balls.
The super sectional could honestly provide added excitement, especially considering those are now seeded tournaments. This keeps the possibility of two teams from the same region making the Final Four, but also allows for those meetings to come earlier.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on the X platform @Kreager.