PIAA football bracket alteration may force WPIAL changes, too
The PIAA approved new brackets Monday for the state football playoffs, and that could bring about some changes to the WPIAL playoffs and title games at Heinz Field.
This season, the WPIAL Class 6A champion will enter the PIAA playoffs in Week 13 (quarterfinals) on Nov. 27-28.
Meanwhile, the WPIAL champion in the other five classifications will enter the playoffs in Week 14 (semifinals) Dec. 4-5.
The WPIAL tentatively reserved Heinz Field for championship games Nov. 20 or 21. The stadium is not available to the WPIAL the following weekend because Pitt plays a home game Nov. 28.
There is no possibility that the WPIAL will play more than four games at Heinz Field. So, now the league has to make a decision on how many title games will be played there, and how many teams will qualify for the playoffs in each classification.
“I don’t think anyone anticipated five [WPIAL teams] going to the PIAA semifinals,” WPIAL associate executive director Amy
Scheuneman said. “We have to figure out what classifications will be playing [championships] on what weekend.”
Scheuneman said the WPIAL will consider playing only three championships at Heinz Field. To be clear, if any classifications play Nov. 20 or 21 at Heinz Field, they could only have a maximum of eight teams in the playoffs and three weeks of the postseason. Classifications that have 12 or 16 teams in the playoffs will need four weeks to complete the tournament. That would mean they could not play at Heinz Field this season. Three of the six classifications in the WPIAL have at least 22 teams.
“We have talked before about playing only three games at Heinz,” Scheuneman said. “The cost is based on the time you’re there and that’s why it costs so much to have four games.”
The WPIAL board of directors meet Thursday. Scheuneman said it will discuss the football playoffs, but no decision will be made on a postseason format. “The recommendation would be that we refer it back to our football steering committee for a recommendation,” she said. “Then it will come back to the board for approval in July, for what the playoffs will look like.”
Suspension rule
The PIAA passed on a third and final reading a new “supplemental suspension” rule that would give a two-game suspension to any athlete or coach who is ejected from a contest for vulgar language or “ethnic or racially insensitive comments” toward an official or opponent, or making contact with an official. The rule will go into effect in the 2020-21 school year.
In the past, an athlete or coach was suspended for only one game if they were ejected from a contest for any reason. The first two readings of the new rule did not include wording on ethnic or racially insensitive comments. That line was added for the third and final reading upon a suggestion from PIAA board member Michael Barber.
“Especially in light of everything that is going on in the world, it’s a good move,” PIAA assistant executive director Pat Gebhart said. “I think officials are tired of the commentary, not just toward them but toward an opponent also.”
PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said the number of player ejections has been on the rise in recent years, especially in football and soccer, although not all ejections are for vulgar language. Ejections that aren’t for vulgar language or racially insensitive comments will continue to be one-game suspensions.
Game officials will decide if an ejected player gets the two-game “supplemental suspension.” A report will then be sent to the PIAA within 24 hours.
The rule has received some criticism from football coaches because the football regular season is only 9 or 10 games long, while other sports have a much longer regular season.
“That was vetted at the beginning of this process, that two games could be a very heavy penalty for football,” Lombardi said. “Our board was very, very concerned that football is starting to creep up the chain. They thought the penalty for that type of behavior and language is appropriate.”
Weight class vote
The PIAA board passed on a second-reading basis to reduce the number of weight classes in wrestling from 14 to 13. The idea must pass one more vote in July.