NJ to crown true state champs in 2022

In a year and a half, there will finally be high school football state champions in New Jersey.

The NJSIAA’s member schools voted nearly unanimously (255-3) to adopt a proposal that will have all five public groupings host true state title games starting in 2022.

Up until now, football has been the lone sport to only crown sectional champions. The state added regional championships in 2018, which have been at MetLife Stadium between the North I/North II and Central/ South champions in each group.

Beginning next year, there will be 20 sectional champions in addition to five public school champions and two non-public champions. But Thanksgiving Day games won’t be affected and the season will start and end at the same times, minus one preseason scrimmage.

The regular season will run from Weeks 1 through 8. The sectional playoffs will be Weeks 9, 10 and 11. And then public schools will play state semifinals in Week 12 and state finals in Week 14 (the week after Thanksgiving).

Non-public schools face no changes. Their two group finals will take place over Thanksgiving weekend, but if either team in those matchups has a Thanksgiving game, the final will be

pushed back one week.

All schools will face a 10-game maximum for the regular season, including Thanksgiving games.

“I think it’s only fair since everybody else — more or less — plays it out, that football have that same opportunity,” said Notre Dame athletic director Rich Roche, who oversees the only non-public school in Mercer County. “It didn’t extend the season, which I think is important too. To get down to a state

champion in each group I think is only fair because that’s what the other sports do.”

In January, NJSIAA members voted 318-12 to remove a line from its constitution, which since 1932 had prohibited football from playing down to state champions.

Since the NJSIAA’s state football playoffs began in 1974, five Mercer County area schools have won a sectional title: Allentown, Hopewell Valley, Ewing, Notre Dame and Nottingham.

KYLE FRANKO — TRENTONIAN FILE PHOTO Nottingham athletic director Jon Adams led the Northstars to a 2012sectional title when he was the football coach. New Jersey will hold true state championships beginning in 2022.