PIAA needs to change the playoff format
- Thread starter Hausmann1978
- Start date
Were these vacancies (no one slotted there) or did teams actually opt out, meaning........they decided not to play a specific opponent(s)?
They opted out, but look at their records... there was literally no one to play in that sub-region:
"Hollidaysburg (2-8) and Central Mountain (0-10) were to face each other in the District 6 portion of the subregional, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 11-12."
"Cathedral Prep’s subregional opponent that weekend, Pittsburgh Brashear High School (0-8) also declined a postseason invitation."
After playoff opt-outs, Pa. football team needs just 2 wins to get to 5A title game
District subregional falls apart with three withdrawals
All this is compounded (created?) by the ABSURDITY of 6 classifications.
If healthy, I'd love playing a team that sat on its ass for 3 weeks while I played, maintained rhythm, discipline, routine, etc, so long as I was healthy. It's not all positive for Erie. Maybe the opposite.
All the ex-players on the board know players want to play!
If healthy, I'd love playing a team that sat on its ass for 3 weeks while I played, maintained rhythm, discipline, routine, etc, so long as I was healthy. It's not all positive for Erie. Maybe the opposite.
All the ex-players on the board know players want to play!
By opting out what life lessons are you teaching these kids. It's not always about football. The Piaa does need to take a hard look at thier playoff tournament. With ecp in the western finals and the wpial only having 6 6A teams something needs to be done!
I agree entirely. Given what's happening demographically, going back to four classifications might make the most sense. It also seems there is less and less of a relationship between school enrollment and the strength of the football team. Obviously, you want enrollment taken into account--that's why you'd have four classifications based on enrollment, but every year we're seeing more and more downsides to six classifications.
Yes, fewer teams would make the playoffs, but there would be fewer blowouts in the early rounds. Plus, people in all corners of the state can point to teams that just don't belong in the playoffs.
Well said tulla, and I couldn't agree more. I would like to see the piaa go back to 4 even 5 classifications but I don't think the Piaa will do that. They definitely need to come up with a plan to balance out the competition and games.
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I would agree with "compounded" - artificial "districts" leave teams like ECP out in the cold for a few weeks. I know they are remnants from the creation of the state tournament, but is it time, now that everyone does want to play for a state championship, to tell the WPIAL and PCL that they can no longer run their own tournaments? District 1 semi-finals have teams from 4 different conferences. I know that I'm over-simplifying but some re-alignment of the tournament itself could erase some of these issues?
bucksftball - in the WPIAL its sorta like that 1A-5A - all have 3+ conferences of 7+ teams. In the semi's this weekend, at least 2 of those conferences are represented. 5A has teams from different conferences in the finals. 6A only has 5 teams.
Makes sense, I guess the question is why leave ECP sitting out there by themselves? I know that it might be very different in other sports, and might screw up other things while trying to solve a “football only” problem since most other sports are only 3-4 classifications.
PIAA will never make a decision based on common sense so I don't expect anything to change. Here's what I would do:
-Go to 5 classifications=there isn't balance in the state for enough 6A schools. Most are either in the Philadelphia suburbs (District 1 & 12) or Harrisburg suburbs (District 3). The rest are spread across other parts of the state so the current district format is outdated. See ECP having 3 BYES before playing a playoff game basically advancing to State Quarterfinals without having to play a game.
-With 5A being the highest enrollment schools think of some of the bigger 5A schools now mixing it with the 6A schools (Pine-Richland, Exeter Township, Roman Catholic, etc) in the playoffs. Also limits the number of teams making playoffs with 3-4 wins.
-Mix up the brackets on a rotating basis. For example, have D1 and D3 on the same side of the bracket then switch to have D1 and D12, D12 and D3, and so on. Mixes up some of the matchups so we don't have the same teams facing each other year after year.
-Go to 5 classifications=there isn't balance in the state for enough 6A schools. Most are either in the Philadelphia suburbs (District 1 & 12) or Harrisburg suburbs (District 3). The rest are spread across other parts of the state so the current district format is outdated. See ECP having 3 BYES before playing a playoff game basically advancing to State Quarterfinals without having to play a game.
-With 5A being the highest enrollment schools think of some of the bigger 5A schools now mixing it with the 6A schools (Pine-Richland, Exeter Township, Roman Catholic, etc) in the playoffs. Also limits the number of teams making playoffs with 3-4 wins.
-Mix up the brackets on a rotating basis. For example, have D1 and D3 on the same side of the bracket then switch to have D1 and D12, D12 and D3, and so on. Mixes up some of the matchups so we don't have the same teams facing each other year after year.
interesting info- thanks, not-
this is a good summary- one of the things that makes this whole process tough, is trying to make a state-wide system w weird variations across the state- in eastern Pa, many BIG districts, but lots of smaller throughout the state. Kinda what tiger was saying in a previous thread- a possible solution (that will never happen) is consolidating schools- just too many HSs across the state. About the WPIAL- really its not just that "we" want our own tournament- its that schools do not want to travel far. Crazy- schools like SJP and ECP play many games out-of-state, but in WPIAL some schools don't want to travel more than 5-10 miles!! We only want to play "neighboring schools." Seriously, crazy, in Allegheny county, Pgh's county- including private HS, there are probably like 50 HS football teams- yea fifty, in like a 15 mile radius!!!
Man, i am so confused- first the PIAA site is so bad- there is a link for "interactive maxpreps" bracket- but no link!
5A-- I'm trying to figure who woial winner plays- first trying to figure out where Erie Cathedral Prep is- district 10? not even on brackets? But then it looks like wpial/district 7 winner faces District 6? So that means a bye-week for D7?
And they do not even have the Quarterfinal "day" picked yet?? Nov 25 or 26? that's in 7 days!! how can they expect or hope "fans" to try to go to state playoff games, when they do not even have the "day" picked yet??
5A-- I'm trying to figure who woial winner plays- first trying to figure out where Erie Cathedral Prep is- district 10? not even on brackets? But then it looks like wpial/district 7 winner faces District 6? So that means a bye-week for D7?
And they do not even have the Quarterfinal "day" picked yet?? Nov 25 or 26? that's in 7 days!! how can they expect or hope "fans" to try to go to state playoff games, when they do not even have the "day" picked yet??
