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FHSAA OKs Hybrid Plan For Prep Football Classification

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By NICK WILLIAMS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2008

GAINESVILLE - The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to accept the Operations Committee's "Hybrid Plan" for football classifications.

Under the two-year plan, districts will become larger, with a maximum of nine teams per district. In each of the four larger classifications (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A) the top four teams in each district will advance to the state region playoffs. In the current setup, only the district champion and runner-up advance. Schools in smaller classifications (2A, 2B, 1A, 1B) will allow the top two teams to advance.

The eight classifications (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 2B, 1A, 1B) in the FHSAA state football series will be divided geographically and into eight districts per classification. For example, according to this year's assignments, there were 16 districts in Class 6A; with the new policy, there will be eight.

Members of the board and the Operations Committee said the plan will "stimulate interest for football" and "generate more revenue." They agreed it also gives more teams a chance to make the playoffs compared with the current alignment in which one or two district losses could destroy a team's postseason chances.

The Operation's Committee said the number of team's competing in the state region playoffs would remain the same.

The language of the policy has not been made final, but the proposal states, "schools in the lower four classifications shall be equal in number so as to limit the number of schools in each of the upper classifications to a maximum number of 72 schools." According to the proposal, there would be 72 total teams in classes 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A, and 50 total schools in 2A, 2B, 1A and 1B.

The board of directors and Operations Committee said schools will be grouped into districts geographically.

The proposed assignments will be sent out Dec. 12, and schools will have three weeks to appeal. The district assignments will be made final Jan. 9 and 10.

Based on the new dividing lines for each classification, Hillsborough athletic director Lanness Robinson said the county's new football alignment for some classifications could read as follows

Class 6A (2,482 students or more): no teams

Class 5A (2,100-2,481): 10 teams

Class 4A (1,801-2,099): eight teams

Class 3A (1,404-1,800): four teams

Class 2A (961-1,403): five teams

Class 2B (547-960): N/A

Class 1A (289-546): N/A

Class 1B (288 or less): N/A

Note: The 2008 school population report has yet to be released; 2007 populations from www.fhsaa.org/programs/classes/07pop.htm.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 259-7851.

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