TSSAA approves Knox Catholic and GCA-Franklin moves to D2

[osunut2]

At today's TSSAA BoC meeting, Knoxville Catholic and Grace Christian Academy (Franklin) were approved to move from D1 to D2, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. Based on the current numbers, Catholic will likely be placed in D2-AAA (east/middle region), while Franklin Grace will likely be placed in D2-AA (middle region).

[reaction]

Welcome Catholic 

[QSouth89]

Now that the TSSAA finally split the public's and privates, how will the regions look and surely there is no way you can keep 3 classes in D2 that is ridiculous to water down and thin out D2.  Two classes would be better. 

[bigchief]

12 minutes ago, QSouth89 said:

3 classes in D2 that is ridiculous to water down and thin out D2.  Two classes would be better. 

It will never happen. None of the AA schools want anything to do with AAA. Yes Knox Webb and CPA should be AAA but they will never do it voluntarily. Just like when the cut off for other sports was set at 451 and both schools came back with a 449 enrollment. Yeah right.

Edited March 16, 2018 by bigchief

[Booger]

20 minutes ago, bigchief said:

It will never happen. None of the AA schools want anything to do with AAA. Yes Knox Webb and CPA should be AAA but they will never do it voluntarily. Just like when the cut off for other sports was set at 451 and both schools came back with a 449 enrollment. Yeah right.

funny how that stuff happens..

..dont forget that FB number bein moved from the original 450 plan to 530 after that big deal cuttin pow wow with that Webb HC board member and all them brain trusters had down at the redneck riviera......also dont forget that Lipscomb AD feller board member who was sittin on the board with 518 students, now is under that 530 after the happy hours maneavers and can now avoid AAA .....

how did that work out for them in that first year.....NOT TO GOOD

Booger just sayin 

[BreadTruck28]

10 hours ago, bigchief said:

Yes Knox Webb and CPA should be AAA but they will never do it voluntarily.

I don’t think BA and Ensworth should have voluntarily moved up either, it would have pushed for a quicker solution to the three classification craziness.

Personally, I think a better system for D2 would be two classes based somehow on financial aid budgets available to student athletes.  Teams that have 30 aided athletes versus teams with a couple of aided athletes is a much larger factor than the number of students.

 

[chainsaw2]

12 hours ago, BreadTruck44 said:

I don’t think BA and Ensworth should have voluntarily moved up either, it would have pushed for a quicker solution to the three classification craziness.

Personally, I think a better system for D2 would be two classes based somehow on financial aid budgets available to student athletes.  Teams that have 30 aided athletes versus teams with a couple of aided athletes is a much larger factor than the number of students.

 

Now that is the smartest comment I have heard in a while about the number of scholarship athletes on a team.  I was at a game last year and one of the supporters who I assumed to be a relative or friend of a football player said "right there stands a million dollars" and it was the team huddled up after the game.  I said 50 players? and he said yep but 40 of em at $25,000 a pop.  For years Webb has had a small team number 35-40, but I would venture a large percentage received some form of financial aid.  Spartan can you confirm?  200 student population school with 35 scholarship players can play with 600 student school with 10 scholarship players easy imo.

[Spartan4Life]

On 3/17/2018 at 8:40 AM, chainsaw2 said:

Now that is the smartest comment I have heard in a while about the number of scholarship athletes on a team.  I was at a game last year and one of the supporters who I assumed to be a relative or friend of a football player said "right there stands a million dollars" and it was the team huddled up after the game.  I said 50 players? and he said yep but 40 of em at $25,000 a pop.  For years Webb has had a small team number 35-40, but I would venture a large percentage received some form of financial aid.  Spartan can you confirm?  200 student population school with 35 scholarship players can play with 600 student school with 10 scholarship players easy imo.

Not a bad idea from the previous poster. But Actually Webb doesn't have nearly as many scholarship players at you think. I believe the number is no more than 10 any given year. If Webb was truly giving out scholarship for football we'd have more than 35-45 players. Now the few that are on scholarship are some top level athletes but it's not nearly as much as you think. I wish it was and then we'd be able to compete with the top top programs in the state. 

Back in the 2000's Webb's student body was a little different. A lot more "average kids" played football and mix that in with a few scholarship athletes Webb fielded more balanced teams with depth. Those rosters were usually in the 60's. We didn't have the top D1 guys like we've had the past four or five years but we had a lot more solid football players. Now it's either elite or below average for the most part on the roster. So it's changed quite a bit. 

I'm interested to see what the administration is going to do about the depth issue. 2010 was the last time Webb fielded a team with more than 50 kids on the roster. 

I do agree that in private school division its more about the school philosophy and less about the total kids in the school. Numbers really only truly work for the public's in judging how competitive a school can/will be. I completely agree. I wish Webb was giving out 35 football scholarships. We'd easily field a 60+ team and be able to compete with the elite. School philosophy is not there right now. I'm hoping that will change. 

Edited March 21, 2018 by Spartan4Life

[chainsaw2]

Spartan-

I have lamented this fact over the last year or so and would like your take:  if I'm understanding you correctly Webb used to have more students playing football with fewer elite players on scholarship whereas now, it's maybe more or at least a higher level of elite scholarship players with fewer students going out for football hence the reduced roster size--- right?  If so, this is my concern.  In the race to win, money and scholarships keep average student players from enjoying the game of football.  Old AA (now AAA) ideas and philosophies have trickled down to AA and will eventually to A.  Kids that would have played now see no point in going out for the team.  I know I'm behind the times and this has been going on especially over the last 5 years, but it sure stinks and once again we have allowed the all mighty dollar and drive for glory squeeze out one of the most important aspects of high school that fewer and fewer students will ever get to enjoy. I'm just an old codger I guess.

[Spartan4Life]

23 hours ago, chainsaw2 said:

Spartan-

I have lamented this fact over the last year or so and would like your take:  if I'm understanding you correctly Webb used to have more students playing football with fewer elite players on scholarship whereas now, it's maybe more or at least a higher level of elite scholarship players with fewer students going out for football hence the reduced roster size--- right?  If so, this is my concern.  In the race to win, money and scholarships keep average student players from enjoying the game of football.  Old AA (now AAA) ideas and philosophies have trickled down to AA and will eventually to A.  Kids that would have played now see no point in going out for the team.  I know I'm behind the times and this has been going on especially over the last 5 years, but it sure stinks and once again we have allowed the all mighty dollar and drive for glory squeeze out one of the most important aspects of high school that fewer and fewer students will ever get to enjoy. I'm just an old codger I guess.

That is correct. While part of it is that some kids don't even bother going out because they don't feel they could play, I think at Webb its more that the student body has changed. There aren't as many old school minded kids. This hurts Webb most on the lines. We've got the skills players but as far as big boys that just like to hit people...that has dwindled. A lot of those kids in Knoxville are staying public or going to the least expensive privates (CAK/Grace) or more football money driven schools (Knoxville Catholic). Webb is right on the line were if we don't make a solid decision our football could be left behind. We are too expensive for the average kid to be able to afford or get a little bit of aid and afford but at the same time we don't provide enough money in football to go get enough players to counteract that (schools like BA, Ensworth do). So it's going to be interesting as to what Webb does in the future to stay a top program in Knoxville. 30-45 kids isn't going to cut it. Not unless 20+ of them are full scholarship kids, which they are not. 

[Booger]

that was not the conversation and view until this past year when the competition level changed and they all of a sudden found themselvs not feastin at the top of the old A system

Booger just sayin 

[chainsaw2]

I think it's been more than just this past year Boog-believe it or not the competition was pretty good before ND came on board-Webb hasn't won the title in at least 3 years and we have been talking about over the last 5 year span-I agree though the level has definitely been raised