POSSIBLE CHANGES IN FOOTBALL SEASON FORMAT
Friday, April 15th, 2011 -- 10:28 AM
What has turned out to be the most substantial change in the football model throughout the 35-year existence of the playoffs--the elimination of three games in 10 days at the end of the regular season and start of the playoffs--has launched a completely new alternative to the existing model. The recommendation most likely to be advanced by an ad-hoc committee, established to review the implementing of the elimination of three-games-in-10-days scenario, will totally revamp the traditional football season. The committee formulated a possible alternative to the existing season and playoff format that will be introduced to and discussed among the membership prior to implementation in 2013 if approved by the Board. The proposal being discussed by the ad-hoc committee is, in essence, an all-play model. All other WIAA-sponsored team sports feature all schools qualifying for the tournament series. Numerous discussions on an all-play model in the past had received little support from the football coaches and membership. The proposed model would require a seven-game regular season with a minimum of 10 games tentatively scheduled for every team. In week eight, teams seeded by the coaches would play in an eight-team play-in bracket. The winners advance each week culminating with the State title game in Week 13. Losers of the Week 8 games will advance to play the corresponding losers of other games in the upper or lower halves of the respective brackets in Week 9. In Week 10, the losers of Week 9 games on both sides of the bracket will play a 10th game, respectively. The teams that win in Week 9 after losing its Week 8 game in the respective brackets will match-up in their 10th game. One of the more compelling items of the proposed plan will be the impact on the traditional ?regular? season. A seven-game season may dramatically influence conference affiliations and schedules, as well as non-conference rivalries, which was a significant issue of the failed district plan in 2009. Existing conferences with nine or more teams will require creative scheduling within conference play. Not all teams will be able to play each of the teams in the league with only a seven-game regular-season schedule. Another potential obstacle of the ad-hoc committee proposal that was briefly addressed is a school?s willingness to adhere to a full 10-game schedule if, following a Week 8 or Week 9 defeat, it has no desire to continue its season without the opportunity of advancing in the championship bracket. The advisory committees will review and vote on football items after the 2011 football season with the possibility of the Board voting on implementation at its January, 2012 meeting.More on this can found at wiaawi.org
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