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Ranking Ineligible teams

Call it bleeding heart if you want...I'm really o.k. with that and you can keep right on with your ignorant uninformed outsider mentality of what these towns have gone through and the tough decision they had to make. You have ZERO clue of what has gone on in these programs.
I lived in one for 10 years and still do not agree with opting down, because unlike you I have also lived some where outside the State and I no where else do they allow opting down
 
In the spirit of discussion, if all schools should play in their classification level, should teams that Lutheran High Northeast beat or played be upset, they should be playing 8 man.
 
In the spirit of discussion, if all schools should play in their classification level, should teams that Lutheran High Northeast beat or played be upset, they should be playing 8 man.

No, I am guessing it will be the opinion of the group that those teams have no right to be upset.

Very interesting thought.
 
This is really a good thread. I understand that people can be very passionate in their beliefs and honestly that is what makes a thread like this so good. Tempers may flare up a little, but this is exactly what an open forum should be.

For those that feel there should absolutely be no opting down:

-Would you endorse a situation in which perhaps these teams could be grouped together and play one another so as to not effect others (understanding that travel will increase for all teams)?

-Would you endorse a situation in which these teams are permitted to play just as they are now, however the games are assigned no Wild Card point value regardless of the outcome?

-Would you endorse a situation in which these teams are permitted to play just as they are now, however since these teams are in essence a higher Class level team there are bonus points assigned as there are in D2 to D1 and C2 to C1?

For those that feel the opt down should be permitted:

-Would you endorse a situation in which teams would be grouped together and play one another realizing that some of the travel schedules potentially could become brutal as they are in 6 man?
 
-Would you endorse a situation in which perhaps these teams could be grouped together and play one another so as to not effect others (understanding that travel will increase for all teams)?

YES YES YES
 
I have played against teams that had to forfeit their game against us because lack of participation. It sucks and then we have to wait until the next week to play again so we pretty much had 2 byes...Does something need to change yes but the schools opting down to play 8 man do benefit for them. More enthusiasm and interest for them and their numbers rise to where they can play 11 man again if student population in the school is the same. Do I think that it is right for them to opt down, yes and no. It hurts other teams for points but it does help the schools that need to get more interest in the sport. So maybe the participation number in the state overall could increase. In my opinion I would rather see a team opt down for more numbers to participate. I love this sport and something needs to change to help our kids. Do I think that poor me attitude for schools goes on? Yes I do. I think the 9 man game would help those schools and others so the points system wouldn't be upset by those that want to opt down with low numbers. It hurts those classes overall.

I know this will anger a few and not my intention. This is just an opinion based on experience. I want whats best for the players that are currently playing and the ones for the future so we can keep having this sport.
 
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I have played against teams that had to forfeit their game against us because lack of participation. It sucks and then we have to wait until the next week to play again so we pretty much had 2 byes...Does something need to change yes but the schools opting down to play 8 man do benefit for them. More enthusiasm and interest for them and their numbers rise to where they can play 11 man again if student population in the school is the same. Do I think that it is right for them to opt down, yes and no. It hurts other teams for points but it does help the schools that need to get more interest in the sport. So maybe the participation number in the state overall could increase. In my opinion I would rather see a team opt down for more numbers to participate. I love this sport and something needs to change to help our kids. Do I think that poor me attitude for schools goes on? Yes I do. I think the 9 man game would help those schools and others so the points system wouldn't be upset by those that want to opt down with low numbers. It hurts those classes overall.

I know this will anger a few and not my intention. This is just an opinion based on experience. I want whats best for the players that are currently playing and the ones for the future so we can keep having this sport.
Good post, I think that if you allow opting down then they should only play each other, regardless of travel, this still has a negative impact of C2 and D2 getting a larger top end and that still causes a endless circle of teams opting down.
 
Talking to an AD from a perennial powerhouse a couple weeks ago, he mentioned at an AD meeting he attended that participation in football in Nebraska has dropped by over 20%, almost 30%, in the last 5 years. Part of it because the game is dangerous, another part because of a rise in "bullying" prevention. A lot of younger kids felt pressured to go out, and now schools are more likely to squash any type of bullying and name calling for those who don't play. So saying that if your school has 50 boys and half of them go out is even a stretch anymore.

If these percentages are true then taking the classification number of 83 and the low end percentage of 20% less participation that is 16.6 students. Add that to the number of 83 that is clearly outdated for today's current circumstances your new classification number should be around 99 to 100. If it's 25% less participation in schools then that number is 20.75, so we are talking a new number of 103 to 104 for the D1 cut-off, which is very comparable to almost every other state that offers 8 man. Would be interesting to know what the exact decline in participation is, but seems like a logical way to address the cut-off issue. Just food for thought.

I also think that maybe all these homeless teams need to talk and possibly just say screw it, we are going 9 man for awhile and just be dependent of the NSAA. What would be interesting to see is if other current struggling C2 (or C1...Madison) schools would be tempted to join the 9 man ranks. Something else to think about.

Finally interesting point about Lutheran High effecting C2 when they should technically be 8 man.
 
I have read somewhere that there might be a proposal of adding another class of B making it B1 and B2 that would give us 7 classes of football not including 6 man. Wonder what it would look like if we had A, B, C, 9 man, and 8 man that is 5 classes and if a team that would fit in the 9 man class wanted to opt up then fine but NO opting down. I wouldn't want to guess where to start the number, just a thought
 
Considering that half of the schools in this state are at or under 100 total enrollment it is a needed change. 9 man makes sense, drop the tackles and play! I agree going from 11 man to 9 man and then down to 6man makes sense to me. The 6 man association does an awesome job running their season, and they are growing in numbers. We need to respect the wishes of those schools that are under 100 students, and work together to have a great setup for all of our kids.
 
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