RedUp

By this I meant 2 regions from which 4 play off teams come, 2 from each district. 4 districts, each district plays within, !A, 2A, 3A have 4 district games, and 4A has 5 district games. That way schools have plenty of space to play traditional rivals. This lets the small schools avoid getting shellacked by all the big boys, allows the big boys to play some of their regular rivals and allows the small schools to play some like sized schools as well. Nothing says you could not play other teams in DII, but those games, whether they were against DIIA schools in another district, DIIAA schools, or DI schools, would not count in district standings.

My guess-2 regions West and East West 2 districts JCS, USJ, Rossville, Fayette, FACS, St George SBEC, Bp Byrne, Harding, ECS, T-R East 2 districts Webb, DA, MJCS, Lancaster, Zion DCA, FRA, Riverside, SAS, Ezell

The disparity between Riverside Christian @ 76 students and ECS at 502 is going to make it interesting to see how TSSAA creates regions in DIIA. Is it not a safety issue when the very small DIIA schools have to play a Webb or ECS? 11 football schools from Jackson West: ECS, St George, Harding, SBEC, Bp Byrne, Tipton Rosemark, FACS, USJ, JCS, Fayette, Rossville Christian 10 schools from Nashville East: Riverside Christian, Zion Christian, Lancaster Christian, Mt. Juliet Christian, St. Andrews-Sewanee, FRA, DCA, Davidson, Webb, Ezell-Harding

DIIA football is going to be ugly. There is far too much disparity between ECS at 510 and Riverside at 76 or Zion at 103.

QUOTE (Old Timer @ Sep 25 2008 - 02:47 PM) RedUp, I too am a parent paying full tuition, so I have a question for you on your last statement above.....How would your child feel knowing the school (parents) paid the way for someone to come in and take a spot he/she had worked hard for? Bump....RedUp, I haven't seen an answer on this yet. I do not pay tuition to the school my child attends in order for my child to have a spot on the team. I pay for a total education, preparation for a life where competition is a necessity for survival. It is an educational experience when someone beats you out of a postion on the team, whether that someone received aid or not. Like I said, we disagree. Sounds like you believe tuition paid is a guaranteed start. My bottom line......DI schools that flirt with the financial aid rules lack integrity. Not pointing fingers or naming names. Those schools know who they are.

"Let me ask you a question on fairness. Is it fair for the parents of a student to be paying full tuition and then see a percentage of that tuition payment be redirected to a fund to offer aid to another student who may end up stealing his place on the team?" Straight up answer on fairness----but you and I obviously see things differently: If I were a parent paying full tuition, (and I am) and part of my tuition payment went to help a student attend the school that he/she could not otherwise attend, and the presence of that student amongst the student body made that student body more diverse and helped prepare my child for a world full of diversity, I would (and do) consider that a good investment. I could care less if that child "steals" (strange choice of words) my child's spot on the roster.

Here are a few lines from the TSSAA bylaws: Tuition and Financial Aid 1. Q. Is it permissible for a school to employ a student for summer work who has not attended the school the previous year? A. No. In order for a student, who will be participating in athletics, to be employed by a school during the summer the student must have attended the school the previous school year. 2. Q. Can a school employ student-athletes to ???work off??? tuition? A. No. Article II, Section 16 sets forth the only means for reduction of tuition. A school may employ student-athletes as long as the remuneration or consideration for work is not in excess of the amount regularly paid for such service. 3. Q. Must all financial aid to student-athletes be need-based? A. Yes Legal work study disappeared long ago. However, I have a hunch illegal work study still exists in some form or fashion in many DI independent schools. Bigchief seems to think so.

So, how do you feel about students being denied the right to play sports because they are on need based financial aid, while all the other students around them are able to play? Tell me you think that is fair. Please, would a representative or a supporter of an independent school that does this (gives aid and keeps those students out of sports in order to stay in DI) present a justifiable, defensible reason for such a policy?

Ok- thanks. I appreciate your answer. If CPA does not give need based financial aid, it is not denying any student the opportunity to fully participate. Then take the multiplier and stay in DI is that meets your needs. I do have a real beef with any independent school that does give aid, but then denies those aid receiving students the opportunity that all other students have. It's not fair. It is discriminatory. It's done in the name of getting wins, which is more than likely directly opposed to the heart of that schools mission statement. I look for honesty and integrity from independent schools and educational, competitive opportunities for students in the midst of this mess......not wins.

So, in response to your earlier post that CPA has reviewed its mission statement and has decided to stay in DI, along with the admission that there is at least some aid offered to Salama students......seems to me that CPA has endorsed a mission statement that denies a segment of students at CPA (Salma students?) from participating in athletics. Am I wrong here? I just don't get a school, CPA or any independent school, having a mission statement that endorses the positive educational benefits of athletics along with an administration that touts athletics, denying particular students (students who receive needed based financial aid) the fun and educational opportunity of participating in athletics, just because of the competitive landscape.

So, please clarify. Does CPA offer any need based financial aid?

The impact comes when DI schools see where they fall in the 1/3 break down, then have to make a choice of DI or DII. DII schools are not included in this dividing of membership by thirds for classification purposes. As usual, DII sits over on its own and waits to see whats gonna happen next, since it has no self-governance.

Sure it would---but its not DII's choice. Its TSSAA making that decision and they have the line drawn much higher than 300.

Take all current DI schools, divide by 3 based on current enrollment not multiplied and create a potential A, AA, AAA. Release these figures sometime in the late summer or early fall. Then DI private schools look it over and decide where they want to be. Those DI privates that fall in A will be guaranteed that, if they moved to DII, they would play DIIA in all sports. Bottom line, TSSAA now draws the line betwen A and AA for DII instead of the DII committee. Another case of taking away any semblance of self governance that DII has. In my opinion, this will become very problematic for football, because there will be a significant jump to DIIA. DIIA will then include schools with enrollments from 150 up to around 450, +/-, and football will be tough for those 150 enrollment schools, the very schools that DII folks would like to attract! It could call for a return to 3 DII football classes, but my bet is TSSAA will not do this because of "cost". Ironic, because they are prepared to offer 6 championships in DI, "unless there is significant movement to DII". Well, is they were open to 8 football championships, 6 in DI and 2 in DII, why not go ahead and do 5 in DI and 3 in DII, if there truly is a significant move to DII? Lots going on.

"My solution would be to ask the DII schools what they want to do and let them decide. You want the best solution possible for both teams and Tuesday night before Thanksgiving may be the best option." Great solution since all 9 members of B-C are public and DII has absolutely representation, except advisory. And sometimes they are heard, sometimes they are not. Surely DII could solve this problem themselves.