Times News: VHSL Commitee Recommends Reducing to 4 Classes

[EPJr]

A VHSL ad hoc committee on Tuesday approved a recommendation that the league change its current structure from six classifications to four beginning with the 2023-24 school year, and not everyone is happy about it.

The proposal also allows for schools to appeal to play up or down in classification.

Examples given in the proposal as reasons a school might appeal to move down in classification were geography (a school is a geographic anomaly or has physical obstacles such as bridges and tunnels that make remaining in the assigned classification problematic); school location (providing challenges and hardships for miles traveled); and miscellaneous (number of participating athletes in a school).

Schools with enrollments of :
375 or below would be in Class 1;
376-751 in Class 2;
752-1199 in Class 3;
1,200 and above in Class 4.

https://www.timesnews.net/Sports/2020/06/23/VHSL-committee-recommends-going-to-4-classes-from-6.html

 

[GKKING]

Wow class two, having 375-450 in a rural school will be tough to say the least.

 

[EPJr]

Wow class two, having 375-450 in a rural school will be tough to say the least.

in case you did not see it - in the future they will only count grades 9-11.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

What is the reasoning behind that?

 

[GKKING]

in case you did not see it - in the future they will only count grades 9-11

yep missed that part, will be some div 2 schools now that can drop down

 

[bulldog1150]

What is the reasoning behind that?

I think they wanted to get a truer picture of a school's enrollment when the changes actually took place. Any senior class would be gone and might skew numbers.

In a perfect world, you look at 8-11, but most places have an influx of new students in 9th grade from private schools or home school. Or maybe an exodus of kids to private schools or home school, so 8th grade numbers are hard to use as an indicator of future enrollment.

 

[EPJr]

2020 ADM numbers
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1vCCDhnqwxxKXxhrSexObLApeU4SIWKlx/view

 

[ehcindian]

Using the ADM of 375, grades 9-11, averages out to 125 per class. Currently with the ADM of 475, that average is 118 per class. Doesn't sound like much of a difference, until you realize that equates to increasing the cutoff in the current setup to 500, instead of 475. There will be at least six current 2A schools drop to 1A, regardless of whether the proposed plan to reclassify passes or not. If you look at the schools that have been contenders in the region/state playoffs since the current six class system, it is obvious that the former single A division 2 schools were rewarded with this system. Those 2A schools that are dropping will also be rewarded with the changes in the ADM.

 

[mmqp]

Using the ADM of 375, grades 9-11, averages out to 125 per class. Currently with the ADM of 475, that average is 118 per class. Doesn't sound like much of a difference, until you realize that equates to increasing the cutoff in the current setup to 500, instead of 475. There will be at least six current 2A schools drop to 1A, regardless of whether the proposed plan to reclassify passes or not. If you look at the schools that have been contenders in the region/state playoffs since the current six class system, it is obvious that the former single A division 2 schools were rewarded with this system. Those 2A schools that are dropping will also be rewarded with the changes in the ADM.

Outside of 2 or 3 exceptions, 1A is already pretty much dominated by schools with over 400 students in enrollment. So I suppose this will at least add a little more competition, perhaps one or two less 56-6 type opening round scores come playoff time.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

In a state with such an unusual geographic shape and such a wide variety of population patterns, there will NEVER be a perfect system. Therefore I just wish they would pick something and stick with it instead of feeling the need to change it every few years, which does nothing but cause confusion.

 

[Virginia HS Football Fan]

How hard is it to do equal fourths? I guess that's too difficult for the "educators" who run the VHSL to comprehend.

 

[ehcindian]

Equal fourths is probably not feasible for football in our state. Over the last 30 years in Virginia HS football, there has never been more than 50 or so schools in any classification. Increasing from 50 or so to 80 would kill the smallest classifications. If that ever happened, look for half - or more - of the current 1A schools to be playing 8 man, or not at all.

 

[Virginia HS Football Fan]

You're saying that (and this is per the March 31 ADM numbers), 66 to 590 for the lowest class still not fair to them compared to 1760 to 3955 which would be the highest class?

 

[ehcindian]

I'm just saying football wise that the impact from using equal fourths would likely be felt more in the lowest classification, resulting in teams electing to play 8 man or possibly even dropping football altogether. Six class system has worked well for football since 86.

 

[offmylawn]

I really don't understand the push for this, especially when the majority of the coaches don't want it.

 

[EPJr]

I really don't understand the push for this, especially when the majority of the coaches don't want it.

it (for now) is just a recommendation from the Ad Hoc Subcommittee. It has a long way to go to see the light of day.
Right now they are dealing with Mid Session Appeals from schools that want changes
for the rest of this session.

https://www.vhsl.org/wp-admin/admin...xG&listtoken=8174769fe526143c28c337a4a58f99ad

 

[trutiger16]

Smaller schools in 1A honestly has no chance to compete now

 

[sixcat]

So basically if this happens, VHSL is giving John Marshall a basketball state championship in perpetuity? No way a Class 1 school can compete with them in basketball!

 

[EPJr]

So basically if this happens, VHSL is giving John Marshall a basketball state championship in perpetuity? No way a Class 1 school can compete with them in basketball!

blame redistricting - JM lost 100 kids to TJ in this last go around. Truth is they need to be combined and only have one school in north Richmond. The other truth is both schools are over 100 years old and the alums would not go for it.

 

[bulldog1150]

So basically if this happens, VHSL is giving John Marshall a basketball state championship in perpetuity? No way a Class 1 school can compete with them in basketball!

Word on the street is that schools can petition to play up one classification. I seriously doubt that JM will play Class 1

 

[EPJr]

Word on the street is that schools can petition to play up one classification. I seriously doubt that JM will play Class 1

saw that