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How can TSSAA justify NOT HAVING 4 Classes in Basketball?


BushLeague
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Earlier this year, TSSAA voted against going to 4 classes in Boys & Girls Basketball, Baseball, Softball.  They released the classification for 2017-2021 today.  TSSAA classification plan makes no sense whatsoever and is completely unfair.  There are a number of schools that the TSSAA slotted to compete in 4A Football (1102-827 enrollment), but AAA (largest class) in Basketball, Baseball, Softball (2513-1033 enrollment).  So, their Football team will compete for state titles against schools with as few as 827 enrolled students; while their Basketball, Baseball, and Softball squads will have to compete with schools as large as 2513 enrollment!!! 

 

It gets worse ... these same schools that are AAA in Basketball/Baseball/Softball and 4A in Football - are 2A in Volleyball and Soccer!!!  The AA Soccer enrollment numbers are as low as 668 and the AA Volleyball numbers are as low as 583!  To recap, these schools play schools with an enrollment as large as 2513 in Basketball/Baseball/Softball, but as low as 827 in Football; 668 in Soccer; and 583 in Volleyball!!! 

 

How does that make sense?  Whatever happened to playing in a league against other schools of similar size and geographical proximity in all sports?  Why does the TSSAA have 6 classes in Football, but only 3 classes in Basketball, etc? 

 

The following schools should be LIVID: Seymour (1102), Portland (1089), Liberty Tech (1083), Lawrence County (1082), Springfield (1081), Montgomery Central (1077), Kirby (1067), Stone Memorial (1061), Anderson County (1060), Spring Hill (1053), Tullahoma (1042), East Hamilton (1038) and Sequoyah (1033). 

 

If any of these schools advances in the AAA Region, Sectional, State Tournament rounds in Basketball, they will potentially do so by playing opponents that are MORE THAN TWICE THEIR SIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!  In many cases, they have to do this to get out of their own District!!!  For example: Stone Memorial's 1061 has to defeat Cookeville's 2203 to advance from their own District!!! 

 

TSSAA spent a lot of time considering the Division II changes and made sure Football kept their 6 classifications.  Class A schools pushed for the changes that made the majority of private schools to depart Division 1 for Division II.  Now, the large schools are stuck to play the MEGA-SCHOOLS.  But, I'm scratching my head why Basketball couldn't have 4 classes to make for competitive balance? 

 

TSSAA - you can fix this for Basketball - add a 4th class and keep the MEGA-SCHOOLS separate from schools that are LESS THAN HALF their size!

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Hey Memphis East only has 494 in it's enrollment, but compete with other team bigger than they size. So that can't be your argument. But 4 classes would be nice

 

Earlier this year, TSSAA voted against going to 4 classes in Boys & Girls Basketball, Baseball, Softball.  They released the classification for 2017-2021 today.  TSSAA classification plan makes no sense whatsoever and is completely unfair.  There are a number of schools that the TSSAA slotted to compete in 4A Football (1102-827 enrollment), but AAA (largest class) in Basketball, Baseball, Softball (2513-1033 enrollment).  So, their Football team will compete for state titles against schools with as few as 827 enrolled students; while their Basketball, Baseball, and Softball squads will have to compete with schools as large as 2513 enrollment!!! 

 

It gets worse ... these same schools that are AAA in Basketball/Baseball/Softball and 4A in Football - are 2A in Volleyball and Soccer!!!  The AA Soccer enrollment numbers are as low as 668 and the AA Volleyball numbers are as low as 583!  To recap, these schools play schools with an enrollment as large as 2513 in Basketball/Baseball/Softball, but as low as 827 in Football; 668 in Soccer; and 583 in Volleyball!!! 

 

How does that make sense?  Whatever happened to playing in a league against other schools of similar size and geographical proximity in all sports?  Why does the TSSAA have 6 classes in Football, but only 3 classes in Basketball, etc? 

 

The following schools should be LIVID: Seymour (1102), Portland (1089), Liberty Tech (1083), Lawrence County (1082), Springfield (1081), Montgomery Central (1077), Kirby (1067), Stone Memorial (1061), Anderson County (1060), Spring Hill (1053), Tullahoma (1042), East Hamilton (1038) and Sequoyah (1033). 

 

If any of these schools advances in the AAA Region, Sectional, State Tournament rounds in Basketball, they will potentially do so by playing opponents that are MORE THAN TWICE THEIR SIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!  In many cases, they have to do this to get out of their own District!!!  For example: Stone Memorial's 1061 has to defeat Cookeville's 2203 to advance from their own District!!! 

 

TSSAA spent a lot of time considering the Division II changes and made sure Football kept their 6 classifications.  Class A schools pushed for the changes that made the majority of private schools to depart Division 1 for Division II.  Now, the large schools are stuck to play the MEGA-SCHOOLS.  But, I'm scratching my head why Basketball couldn't have 4 classes to make for competitive balance? 

 

TSSAA - you can fix this for Basketball - add a 4th class and keep the MEGA-SCHOOLS separate from schools that are LESS THAN HALF their size!

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And they also have an advantage of having an NBA superstar kids want to play for. They should be ashamed to be playing Single A.

Hey Memphis East only has 494 in it's enrollment, but compete with other team bigger than they size. So that can't be your argument. But 4 classes would be nice
 

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If you want to add to that argument, by their new classifications, there are 296 schools playing in 6 classes for football and 335 schools playing in 3 classes for basketball, baseball, and softball. That's 39 more schools but only 3 classes. I've never understood how that happens other than Football is the money maker.

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It makes perfect sense. The only sport t$$aa cares about is football. There are more basketball teams, but half as many classifications. That is really all you need to know to realize they don't care. Their argument that they could not make the state tourney work with more than 3 classes is a joke. Much has changed in the last 40 years, but apparently Tennessee High School basketball is the same as it was in the late 70's-shortly after girls' basketball became a full court game. Makes sense to me.

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It makes perfect sense. The only sport t$$aa cares about is football. There are more basketball teams, but half as many classifications. That is really all you need to know to realize they don't care. Their argument that they could not make the state tourney work with more than 3 classes is a joke. Much has changed in the last 40 years, but apparently Tennessee High School basketball is the same as it was in the late 70's-shortly after girls' basketball became a full court game. Makes sense to me.

I'm assuming that you strongly disagree with only 3 classes for Basketball ... and it sounds like others see it the same way.  What are the basketball coaches going to do about it?

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Hey Memphis East only has 494 in it's enrollment, but compete with other team bigger than they size. So that can't be your argument. But 4 classes would be nice

 

And they let kids go to any school they want as freshmen so ecu is right .Who wouldn't want to play for a former superstar or other schools that have former Memphis Tiger stars .Make them go to the schools they are zoned or sit a year and I believe things change. And in a lot of the Single a schools, maybe a school like Lake Co doesn't keep losing 5 students every year to Dyersburg and Dyer co,40 mile round trip while living in Lake Co 

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The bottom line is basketball does not make money. Adding a 4th class would only raise expenses. They are not going to lose money. Sad but true.

 

We have 9 classes in football next year because playoff gates make A LOT of money.

Great point. We're in SEC country and football matters. Basketball doesn't generate alot of cash outside of region games, you would think a top 25 national team going to the state championship could fill up more than just a quarter of the murfreesboro area. 

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The bottom line is basketball does not make money. Adding a 4th class would only raise expenses. They are not going to lose money. Sad but true.

 

We have 9 classes in football next year because playoff gates make A LOT of money.

Explain how a 4th class loses money?  More gates at Region, Sectional, State, etc.  Right?  What am I missing here?

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Explain how a 4th class loses money?  More gates at Region, Sectional, State, etc.  Right?  What am I missing here?

With each new class comes increased expenses. If 3 classes barely break even it is highly unlikely that adding a 4th will suddenly make profit. Have to balance supply/demand.

 

In football, the demand is high. The other sports are nowhere even close. After Basketball breaks even, every other sport loses money. Why do you think colleges separate their sports as revenue and non-revenue?

 

I am not saying I agree with the monetary stand the TSSAA takes, but I do understand the economics of it.

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