GAINESVILLE-The Florida High School Athletic Association held their football advisory committee meeting today at the FHSAA office in Gainesville.
None of the agenda items were immediately passed as they still have to be approved in a January 10 Athletic Directors meeting; however not getting through this initial phase likely eliminates them from passing on.
Eleven agenda items were on the docket for today’s meeting as well as a round table discussion on various football topics including possibly moving the state football finals to another venue.
Perhaps the most intriguing agenda was Item No. 4 which proposes adding two additional playoff teams in each region for Classes 1A-4A to even the amount of playoff rounds.
By giving the top two teams in each region a bye and adding two more teams in each region, the week off between the state semifinals and the state finals is eliminated.
The addition of two playoff teams would have been beneficial this season as Fernandina Beach (4A), Baldwin (3A), Providence (3A), Eagle’s View (2A) and Crescent City (1A) would have all made the playoffs.
Raines and No. 2 West Nassau would have had first round byes, No. 6 Walton would have traveled to No. 3 Marianna and No. 5 Fernandina Beach would have traveled to No. 4 North Bay Haven in the 4A playoffs.
Bradford and Dunnellon would have had first round byes, No. 6 Mount Dora would have traveled to No. 3 Trenton and No. 5 Villages would have traveled to No. 4 Keystone Heights in Region 2-4A playoffs.
Baldwin would have traveled to No. 4 Newberry, while No. 6 Providence would have traveled to No. 3 Florida High in the 3A playoffs.
Other first round games would have been No. 5 Eagle’s View at No. 4 FAMU, arch-rivals No. 6 Branford at No. 3 Lafayette, No. 5 Chiefland at No. 4 Union County and No. 5 Crescent City at No. 4 Williston.
Here is a rundown of the 11 agenda items from today’s meeting and their results.
Agenda Item #1
Increase the number of points from 30 to 35 for losing to a Category 1 team, which would encourage teams to play tougher opponents.
The committee voted 5-2 to prove the agenda item from 30 to 35 points for a Category 1 loss, the Agenda 1 item will now move on to the Jan 10 AD meeting for possible approval.
The #FHSAA Football Advisory Committee has voted 5-2 to APPROVE the first agenda item.
Points for losses bumped up by five points:
Cat 1 – 35
Cat 2 – 30
Cat 3 – 25
Cat 4 – 20Next stop is Jan. 10 AD Advisory Committee. They can endorse it or not. pic.twitter.com/yCu1ItCDME
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #2
Item #2 was initially on the list of playoff qualifications but was shot down at the last minute in the final tweaks of the current playoff system.
The proposal is to reward teams up to three additional bonus points for playing teams up in classification. Class 1A rural schools would be placed in 2A-3A for bonus points purpose only.
Surprisingly it unanimously passed 7-0 and will go on to the next meeting for further voting.
APPROVED 7-0
Effective with the new classification cycle, teams will be awarded bonus points for playing up.
Caveat is three points is max and there’s a tier system for bonus points based on final W-L record for team.
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #3
Traditionally all football schedules are locked in to two-year cycles to help guarantee games for two years as each team gets a home and a home with each opponent.
The proposal is to ensure teams would have the freedom to schedule games on a one year cycle, thus creating more intriguing games and not being locked into two year deals.
In a surprisingly vote, the proposal was denied 7-0.
Item #3 is denied by a 7-0 vote pic.twitter.com/Pss2F3VGUV
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #4
With less teams in Class 1A-4A, there is one less playoff round needed and the smaller classifications teams skip a week in the playoffs thus giving the two teams competing for the state title two weeks to prepare for the state title game.
The proposal is to add two more teams to each region increasing the playoffs from four teams to six teams in each region. Th top two teams in each region would earn a first round bye, No. 3 would host No. 6 and No. 4 would host No. 5 in the first round. The addition of the two teams would also eliminate the bye week in the playoffs between the state semifinals and the state championship.
The committee voted unanimously 7-0 to approve the proposal.
APPROVED 7-0
Allow more teams in the playoffs for 1A-4A.
Next stop: ADAC meeting next Wednesday. Then BOD Jan. 29 if approved. pic.twitter.com/yc8N3e0p0p
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #5
Before the 2017 season, coached voted to eliminate districts in the smaller classifications (Class 4A-Class 1A) and keep the districts in the bigger classifications (Class 5A-8A).
This proposal would bring them back and have all eighth classes not compete in any districts at all.
The committee voted unanimously 7-0 to deny the proposal.
Agenda Item #5 is denied by a 7-0 vote.#FHSAA Football Advisory Committee pic.twitter.com/gFhDioxWf3
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #6
Coaches proposed they be required to play at least three regional games each year to help ease scheduling. A random draw would set up the three region games each year.
The plus would be teams would at least have three guaranteed games each season.
The negatives would be you would be forcing teams to play three opponents they have no control of scheduling. An example would be what happened last year with Raines leading Jackson 70-0 at the half.
Also several area teams formed football only conferences to help scheduling issues and already have guaranteed games and being forced to play three additional regional games would likely eliminated some of the conference games and the chance to win a conference championship.
North Central Florida Football Conference
Wildwood (5-0)
Crescent City (5-0)
Pierson Taylor (3-3)
Villages (3-3)
Keystone Heights (2-3)
Interlachen (1-5)
Umatilla (0-5)
Mid-Florida Football Conference
Trenton (5-0)
Lafayette (4-1)
Branford (3-2)
PK Yonge (1-3)
Bell (1-4)
Bronson (0-5)
Suwannee Conference
Dixie County (5-0)
Fort White (3-2)
Taylor County (3-2)
Williston (2-3)
Union County (1-4)
Newberry (1-4)
Agenda Item #6#FHSAA Football Advisory Committee pic.twitter.com/tLS4jRbNme
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Committee votes to deny a new scheduling system that would randomly schedule three region games for teams in Class 4A-1A. https://t.co/UoW71ukw60
— J.C. Carnahan (@JCCarnz) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #7
This proposal was to try to equal out some of the regions as some of the regions were not level having more or less teams in each region. The thought is with less teams in each region it gives some teams a better chance to make the playoffs.
Agenda Item #7 gets denied 7-0 pic.twitter.com/KtLNlnjJDP
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #8
Proposal would be to have all classifications (Class 1A-4A) go back to districts and all classifications be on the same page.
Agenda Item #8 is denied 7-0#FHSAA Football Advisory Committee pic.twitter.com/MzlnatVRKR
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #9
Proposal was to cross bracket the playoffs, eliminating the traditional North vs South bracket that has been around since the inception in 1967.
The plus would be having a true state championship game with the two best teams playing for a state title regardless of where they are from, could be two South Florida teams playing for a state title, instead of having a South Florida team put a running clock on a North Florida team.
Although initially voting down the proposal the FHSAA quickly said they would look at the proposal again after more discussion and stats.
Item 9, which was to cross bracket the playoffs, gets denied 7-0. #FHSAA
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
Committee wants to explore seeding 1-16 in North and South halves of each bracket (1-8 or 1-12 for 1A through 4A). Frank Beasley, #FHSAA, suggests he can take cross bracketing concept to athletic directors committee meeting next week and discuss pros, cons and concerns.
— Buddy Collings (@VarsityBuddy) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #10
Due to Hurricane Irma, several games were not completed which affected the playoff seeding and point system. This proposal would ensure all games would be completed in the future.
The #FHSAA football coaches committee approves in concept this proposal:
Both schools in an interrupted game MUST agree to finish the game the next day or set a mutual later date and notify the FHSAA by 9 a.m. the following day.
Staff will finalize the policy https://t.co/MjBZbV1csZ— Buddy Collings (@VarsityBuddy) January 3, 2018
Concept of adding details and language to procedures involving postponed and interrupted football games has been approved and will be sent to athletic directors to discuss at its meeting next week. FHSAA will put the pieces in place to ensure timely decisions are made by schools. https://t.co/JXMJz9rTZw
— J.C. Carnahan (@JCCarnz) January 3, 2018
Agenda Item #11
Proposal to expand the playoff roster for all teams to 75 players in all classifications.
The #FHSAA football advisory committee votes 7-0 to increase the playoff roster to 75 for all classes.
Next stop: ADAC next Wednesday.
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) January 3, 2018
