Time to Revamp Florida HS football?

[181pl]

Gotta be a better way.

We need 4 public school classes and 2, maybe 3 private school classes. Let them compete in open bowls after championships if they want. We have too many classes right now. Also, I hate this new proposal re: the playoffs that is underway. Stick to classes with equal sized districts. Top 2 advance to the playoffs but each Region is seeded and once we get to a Final 8, the whole state is re-seeded. If the FHSAA wants to have more competitive title games, this is the way to do it.

Each district should have to have at least six teams. If that means someone has to travel a little, too bad. 3 team districts have helped ruin the current structure.Just my 2 cents.

 

[Silver King]

We may also need to start in September given the weather...

 

[jgking83]

I agree. Four public, two private. I don't know how you would re-seed it and I don't think that is necessary. Having fewer classes will improve the quality and create better competition.

 

[Neutral 0bserver]

Gotta be a better way. We have too many classes right now. ... Just my 2 cents.

There's good news and bad news, 181pl. Here's the good news first.

Sit back and put your feet up. The problem will automatically solve itself. As increasing numbers of high schools drop football, there will be fewer teams. Given time, fewer classes will be needed. Problem solved.

More good news. The decrease of public schools that offer football will also pay dividends for taxpayers. Football is expensive. As more schools drop the sport, districts will no longer have to pay for as many coaches or spend nearly as much on equipment, transportation, etc. It's a win-win situation for taxpayers and school boards alike.

The bad news? As time goes by, the opportunity to play full contact football in high school will become increasingly limited. Well-funded private academies and certain "powerhouse" publics will still field teams and provide a proving ground for select athletes, but gradually their numbers will likely decline (i.e., "What college-bound athlete in his right mind would agree to attend for a FL HS that wasn't even in the Top 10?"), then surviving schools will become even more selective about who gets a chance to play.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

You might not think traveling is an issue in your area but it is in others. A few years ago, Niceville was in a 3-team district with two teams in Gainesville. For two years, their district games required a 5-hour trip. That meant pulling the players out of school at noon to get there in time for the game. It also included additional costs for rental busses because school bus seats aren't designed for long trips.

You have a school with a small football budget and having to travel great distances may mean the end of the football program. Believe it or not, there are still a lot of rural areas in Florida. Lets not get the "Chicago versus the rest of the state" syndrome in Florida. We're better than that!

 

[181pl]

Choctow, with 4 public school classes, each class will have many more teams. So travel wont be as bad.

 

[181pl]

We have roughly 500 public and charters playing football. If you divide that by 4, you'll have 4 classes with 125 teams or more. Divided by 16, you'd have average districts of roughly 7 teams each. That would work. Even in the panhandle.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

Almost all the panhandle teams are in 6A right now. I'm concerned about the ones in 1A-3A. Northview (1A) lost to Crestview (6A) 70-0. Even a 3A team would beat this team with a couple of hundred students in the entire school. But Northview won a state championship recently. They are great for their classification but could not compete with larger schools. And believe me, there is no population growth up at the Florida/Alabama border.

 

[Fla2014]

I just think they just need to separate public and private schools when it comes to playoffs.

 

[peezy28]

FLA2014, New to the board? Welcome aboard friend... What area of the state (or school) do you represent.