Enrollments

[lakecounty1968]

I have a question about enrollments? Hopefully someone with a whole lot more knowledge than me can answer. Union City is going to turn in an enrollment of 403 students maybe a few more. The cut off for single A was 361 two years ago. That was Union City. Now 403 squarely puts them in 2-A in the playoff's. While schools such as Trousdale Co has around 380 and has to play 2-A in the playoff's. I do not understand the TSSAA logic behind this. It's not fair to schools such as Gleason and Greenfield with less than 150 students. This is no slight toward Union City, they can only play were the TSSAA puts them but what is fair with their system? It's suppose to be about the schools not money. The TSSAA is apparently about the money. Now next year they are going to have a super 32 teams in class 6-A. Have regions for 1 through 5. All 32 teams in the 6-a class are going to make the playoff's while the others will only have the top 4 out of each region make it. That's a joke. Class A teams should not have enrollments over 350 students period. If only 24 schools make it out of 1-A so be it. It should not be based off of an equal number of schools in each class but be based off enrollments like it used to be. So, someone please explain this to me. Again, this is not a slight at all against Union City they can only play were the TSSAA puts them. The whole system needs to be overhauled.

[gcapride]

Welcome to 2A Union City

[tradertwo]

Enrollment numbers are totaled, schools listed accordingly, then broken down into equal divisions (previous system). New system works the same with the exception of the 32 largest in their own division. Exceptions are schools allowed to play up if they wish in any division except the "super 32"...if a smaller school wishes to play up to this class one of the 32 has to agree to drop. I agree that the premise of the super 32 all making the playoff is a joke. Privates have had the option of DI or DII, provided that they comply with regulations, and I assume that will remain the same. Reclassification period has been four years apart (with some exceptions for rapid growth), but with the recent change in policy it has been only two years since the last one.

Edited September 18, 2014 by tradertwo

[lakecounty1968]

Enrollment numbers are totaled, schools listed accordingly, then broken down into equal divisions (previous system). New system works the same with the exception of the 32 largest in their own division. Exceptions are schools allowed to play up if they wish in any division except the "super 32)...if a smaller school wishes to play up to this class one of the 32 has to agree to drop. I agree that the premise of the super 32 all making the playoff is a joke. Privates have had the option of DI or DII, provided that they comply with regulations, and I assume that will remain the same.

That's the whole problem with the system. Enrollment cut off mattered. Now it's about having an equal amount of schools in each class. The numbers should matter. 350 for class A, 351 to 725 for 2A and etc for the rest. The TSSAA is killing small town football. Heck I would rather bring back USJ, FACS and JCS and tell them no recruiting. The current system is going to kill small town football. In ten years teams with enrollments under 200 will not fill football teams. Why would they. They have no chance to compete in their own class now. Again I don't want UC fans to think that I am picking on them. I only used them as an example because I know their number of students.

Edited September 18, 2014 by lakecounty1968

[Indian]

I get their reasoning, with schools about 1050 playing 2000-2500 student schools seeming like uphill battles, limiting the top group to only 32. Some.are good fits in regions but Bradley appears to be the odd man out, going east and possibly losing some good money games. The problem with using 350 and below in a 1A group would be the small number of teams remaining. Going higher than that you still have a possible Fayettville to Copper Basin matchup. If using set cutoffs instead of equal divides, I'd go with a complete split then have something around 1A to 450, 2A to 750, 3A to 1200 with rest in 4A. Cut out week zero and have six weeks of playoffs. Non-district games wouldnt count in playoff standings making easier scheduling.

[lakecounty1968]

Welcome to 2A Union City

gcapride, Union City would win 2-A also.

[Indian]

One more thing, they tried to make it better with six playoff classes, letting the smallest play each other in the postseason, but all the mess involved forced a change.

[lakecounty1968]

I get their reasoning, with schools about 1050 playing 2000-2500 student schools seeming like uphill battles, limiting the top group to only 32. Some.are good fits in regions but Bradley appears to be the odd man out, going east and possibly losing some good money games. The problem with using 350 and below in a 1A group would be the small number of teams remaining. Going higher than that you still have a possible Fayettville to Copper Basin matchup. If using set cutoffs instead of equal divides, I'd go with a complete split then have something around 1A to 450, 2A to 750, 3A to 1200 with rest in 4A. Cut out week zero and have six weeks of playoffs. Non-district games wouldnt count in playoff standings making easier scheduling.

I understand your reasoning. The TSSAA is suppose to be about the student athlete. So what if fewer teams are in 1-A . It would still all work out the same. If you only take 24 to playoff's in 1-a and 32 in the rest of the classes then the TSSAA still comes out 8 games ahead. They currently only take 24 in 1-a and 2-a. What it boils down too is money. Ask schools that currently fall in the 362 to 400 range if they would rather play in 1-a or 2-a. They do not get that choice but some with enrollments over 400 do.

[TheAmbassador]

One more thing, they tried to make it better with six playoff classes, letting the smallest play each other in the postseason, but all the mess involved forced a change.

They need 5 public classes and 3 private classes if they split. That's the way it was a few years ago with far less teams than now.

[lakecounty1968]

One more thing, they tried to make it better with six playoff classes, letting the smallest play each other in the postseason, but all the mess involved forced a change.

This is true. I am old school and remember the days when a school had over 350 they were 2-a no questions ask. Then it was about the enrollment number not equal number of teams in each class.

[Indian]

All that is true but what do they tell a school that has 7 district opponents all 2 hours+ away, since the teams.are.so spread out with a.small number in the class. Those schools usually have the smallest budgets on top of that.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Indian

[tradertwo]

That's the whole problem with the system. Enrollment cut off mattered. Now it's about having an equal amount of schools in each class. The numbers should matter. 350 for class A, 351 to 725 for 2A and etc for the rest. The TSSAA is killing small town football. Heck I would rather bring back USJ, FACS and JCS and tell them no recruiting. The current system is going to kill small town football. In ten years teams with enrollments under 200 will not fill football teams. Why would they. They have no chance to compete in their own class now. Again I don't want UC fans to think that I am picking on them. I only used them as an example because I know their number of students.

I sort of agree, but whatever number used as a cutoff would involve debate, politics, and favoritism among those in power to decide. The number you used was 350...how would your opinion change if Lake Co. turned in an enrollment of 351, and had to hypothetically compete against schools with over twice their students?