Class 1A To Be Divided Into 2 Divisions

The University Interscholastic League announced Monday that beginning with the 2010 season, Class 1A football teams will be divided into two divisions. The 1A school superintendents from across the state voted and the ballot passed by a margin of 203 to 65.

Class 1A schools with the largest enrollment will play in Division I and schools with smaller enrollments will compete in Division II. Both divisions will consist of 16 districts. Each district will send two teams to the playoffs.

Currently, each district advances three teams to the playoffs, with the largest enrollment school from each district playing in Division I playoffs and the two remaining schools advancing to the Division II playoffs.

The Class 1A cutoff numbers for programs are between 100 and 199. The UIL will decide before the realignment takes place in 2010 on what the cutoffs are for the new division. It could be something like 100-150 for Division II and 151-199 for Division I.

The playoff format really clears up with these changes. The runner-ups from districts play winners from neighboring districts. This will put more weight on a district title. Before, a team with the biggest enrollment was in Division I, district title or not.

Also, teams will play similarly sized schools throughout the season and in the postseason.

Possible Advantages:
• Provides more clarity and less confusion regarding who is Division I and who is Division II.
• Clearly defines divisions prior to the season rather than at the end of district play.
• Creates more equity in relation to the largest and smallest school within a division.
• Eliminates two schools with the largest enrollments in the state advancing to the playoffs in the smaller enrollment division.
• Eliminates the smallest schools in a conference grouped with the largest schools in a conference.

Possible Disadvantages:
• Additional travel.
• Other team sport activities could want the same division alignment.
• Creates an additional group of schools that will be the smallest within a division.
• Creates administrative inconvenience.
• Scheduling issues could occur in multi-school districts that share stadiums.

Lone Star Gridiron is behind this. We (I) have always been against the current format. I am excited to see this change. Hopefully, the other classifications will follow.

Here are links to .pdf files that the UIL is using for case studies. These are drafts of what each division could possibly look like. Very Interesting.

Class 1A Division I
Class 1A Division II
Class 2A Division I
Class 2A Division II
Class 3A Division I
Class 3A Division II
Class 4A Division I
Class 4A Division II
Class 5A Division I
Class 5A Division II

By: Michael Wright
Lone Star Gridiron
www.lonestargridiron.com