GAINESVILLE-In a rather surprising move today, the Florida High School Athletic Association released its tentative new football district/regional assignments for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
As voted on back in September, the FHSAA will be going to a new playoff format starting in 2017 and continuing in 2018. As part of the new format, teams in Class 1A-4A voted not to be in districts, while teams in Class 5A-8A voted to remain in districts.
Here are the tentative changes for the next two years. Schools will have a chance to appeal their placements and then put it their respective region or districts based on geography.
Independents
The highest amount of changes will come from the Independents as the number of independents will shrink from over 70 teams to down to 48 teams the next two years.
Several teams in the North Florida Athletic Conference, Southeastern Football Conference, Gulf Coast Conference and the Florida Independent Conference defected from their conference and back into the FHSAA districts.
Locally, the North Florida Athletic Conference, appears to be divided with some teams moving back into district play while others remained as independents.
Coaches told media the conference would remain in tact and still have a championship game despite moving back into district play.
The conference, which consists of two divisions (North, South) features Aucilla Christian, John Paul, Munroe Day, Rocky Bayou in the North Division and Oak Hall, St. Francis, St. Joseph, Florida Deaf and St. Johns Country Day in the South Division.
Three schools including St. Johns Country Day, Florida Deaf and Rocky Bayou made the decision to remain an independent and just compete for the conference title.
The rest of the league including Aucilla Christian, John Paul, Munroe Day, Oak Hall, St. Francis and St. Joseph voted to stay in the conference but also move up to Class 2A and compete for a state championship.
However, the state’s largest independent conference, the Sunshine State Athletic Conference remains virtually unchanged with local teams Bishop Snyder and Christ’s Church remaining independent.
Class 1A
There was a lot of shifting in 1A with teams no longer placed in districts and put in regions.
Teams are no longer forced to play district games and can schedule whatever 10 opponents they chose to play.
By being placed in a region, teams are not contractually obligated to play any of the teams in their region anymore but can do so if they chose to.
Hilliard was placed in Region 3-1A and will compete with Bell, Hamilton County, Branford, Lafayette, Chiefland, Trenton, Dixie County, Madison County and Union County.
Again, Hilliard will not have to play any or all of the 9 other Region 3-1A teams, but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
Crescent City joins Hawthorne, Williston, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Pahokee, Bronson and Wildwood in Region 4-1A.
Like Hilliard, Crescent City will not have to play any or all of the 7 other Region 4-1A teams, but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
Class 2A
With the attrition of teams leaving the Independent league and moving back into the FHSAA, Class 2A saw a huge increase of teams for the next two years.
Region I-2A will consist of FAMU, Maclay, North Florida Christian, Lighthouse Christian, Cedar Creek, North Florida Educational Institute (moving up from Independent), Eagle’s View, Harvest Community, University Christian along with North Florida Athletic Conference members John Paul, Aucilla Christian and Munroe Day.
None of the teams in Region I-2A will have to play any or all of the other region teams but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
St. Joseph Academy (moving up from Independent League) will move into Region 2-2A along with Halifax, Deltona Trinity Christian, Oak Hall, St. Francis, Ocala St. Johns Lutheran, Daytona Warner Christian, Cornerstone Charter, Merritt Island Christian, Foundation Academy and Victory Christian Academy.
None of the teams in Region 2-2A will have to play any or all of the other region teams but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
Class 3A
Like 2A, 3A also saw a huge increase in teams joining with the addition of several independents or former 1A teams moving up.
Among the 1A teams moving up are Fort White, Newberry and Baldwin and Pierson Taylor.
Region 1-3A will consists of Florida High (FSU), Pensacola Catholic, Taylor County, North Bay Haven (moving up from Independent), Fort White, Newberry, Baldwin, Duval Charter, Episcopal, Providence and Trinity Christian.
None of the teams in Region I-3A will have to play any or all of the other region teams but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
Class 4A
Nothing changed in 4A except the elimination of districts and teams put into super regions now.
Bolles, Raines, Jackson, Fernandina Beach and West Nassau all remain together for now in Region I-4A along with East Gadsden, Marianna, Rutherford, Walton and South Walton.
None of the teams in Region I-4A will have to play any or all of the other region teams but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
Region 2-4A will consists of Bradford, Interlachen, Keystone Heights, PK Yonge, Santa Fe, Dunnellon, Mount Dora, South Sumter, Villages and Umatilla.
None of the teams in Region 2-4A will have to play any or all of the other region teams but instead will compete with them for the 8 playoff spots rewarded in each region.
Teams have the option to move up to 5A if they choose to, look for Bolles and possibly Raines to move up to 5A.
Part II
We will look at the new Class 5A-8A districts and talk about the changes in the new playoff format with the bigger schools.
