Post Season Idea

[hailvictors2]

People have voiced their approval and/or disapproval of the 16 team bracket in C1/C2. That is NOT what this post is about, so please don't turn it into that.

The NSAA has a rule that prohibits "bowl games" for its member schools. I would like to see that rule done away with if the current classification system stays and the bracket remains at 16 teams in C1/C2. The purpose would be to give teams that don't qualify for the playoffs an additional game if those teams wanted one. There are several teams in C1/C2 that are quality teams/have quality players but for one reason or another they didn't qualify. It might have been due to being in a loaded district. It might have been due to early season injuries that kind of derailed the season. I think of Stanton and Arcadia-Loup City last year. I would have loved to have seen those two teams get an extra game (not necessarily against each other, just another game against another team that wanted to play), especially since Stanton didn't get to play their last game due to a Laurel-Concord forfeit.

I think you set a few ground rules (open for discussion). As an example, the participating schools have to line up their own officials (there are always several crews that want playoff games and don't get them). Participating schools are not reimbursed by the NSAA for travel costs like they are for playoff football. If a school hosts a bowl game one year they are on the road the next year. No rematches or cross class games. Just some basic guidelines.

There might be teams that have no interest in this, but there would definitely be teams that would want to play that extra game. Most wouldn't care if they were home or away either. For those teams that hosted they would generate some additional revenue for their athletic department. The away team would have little costs (transportation is about it). It would have no impact on the NSAA. To me, the biggest benefits to teams would be an additional week of practice (for next year's returning players) and a final game for the graduating seniors.

At quick glance I see the following teams in C1 that might be good candidates:

Lakeview @ Fort Calhoun
Boone Central @ Ashland-Greenwood
Falls City @ DC West

In C-2 you have teams like Ponca and Stanton that are probably out but have played in that nasty C2-4 district. Teams like Gibbon that were crippled by injuries early and are getting healthy now.
Centura @ Ponca
Stanton @ Cross County
Bergan @ Freeman
LHNE @ St Cecilia
Shelby-Rising City @ Gibbon

Obviously not all of those teams would want to play another game, but some might. If teams wanted to be in the pool of bowl teams they throw their name in the hat and try to find a matchup with another team from the pool. Thoughts?

 

[nenebskers]

People have voiced their approval and/or disapproval of the 16 team bracket in C1/C2. That is NOT what this post is about, so please don't turn it into that.

The NSAA has a rule that prohibits "bowl games" for its member schools. I would like to see that rule done away with if the current classification system stays and the bracket remains at 16 teams in C1/C2. The purpose would be to give teams that don't qualify for the playoffs an additional game if those teams wanted one. There are several teams in C1/C2 that are quality teams/have quality players but for one reason or another they didn't qualify. It might have been due to being in a loaded district. It might have been due to early season injuries that kind of derailed the season. I think of Stanton and Arcadia-Loup City last year. I would have loved to have seen those two teams get an extra game (not necessarily against each other, just another game against another team that wanted to play), especially since Stanton didn't get to play their last game due to a Laurel-Concord forfeit.

I think you set a few ground rules (open for discussion). As an example, the participating schools have to line up their own officials (there are always several crews that want playoff games and don't get them). Participating schools are not reimbursed by the NSAA for travel costs like they are for playoff football. If a school hosts a bowl game one year they are on the road the next year. No rematches or cross class games. Just some basic guidelines.

There might be teams that have no interest in this, but there would definitely be teams that would want to play that extra game. Most wouldn't care if they were home or away either. For those teams that hosted they would generate some additional revenue for their athletic department. The away team would have little costs (transportation is about it). It would have no impact on the NSAA. To me, the biggest benefits to teams would be an additional week of practice (for next year's returning players) and a final game for the graduating seniors.

At quick glance I see the following teams in C1 that might be good candidates:

Lakeview @ Fort Calhoun
Boone Central @ Ashland-Greenwood
Falls City @ DC West

In C-2 you have teams like Ponca and Stanton that are probably out but have played in that nasty C2-4 district. Teams like Gibbon that were crippled by injuries early and are getting healthy now.
Centura @ Ponca
Stanton @ Cross County
Bergan @ Freeman
LHNE @ St Cecilia
Shelby-Rising City @ Gibbon

Obviously not all of those teams would want to play another game, but some might. If teams wanted to be in the pool of bowl teams they throw their name in the hat and try to find a matchup with another team from the pool. Thoughts?

Good posts, interesting idea, and I commend you for thinking outside the box. Personally I would have no interest however. Just my opinion but after nine games and for a lot of these teams a sub 500 record I think they are just ready for the season to be done.

I do like the 9 game regular season and wish 8 man would adopt it as well. So many have a disagreement if 16 or 32 is the proper playoff field amount. The more regular season games the more the cream rises to the top and makes a 16 team field more likely to get the right teams in.

Some minor and simple changes I would like to see to the postseason are......

1. Give the higher seed home field advantage throughout. The current system has always puzzled me. It hardly awards the teams who performed best during the regular season unless the higher seed always wins. Why should the #1 seed potentially have to go on the road to the #3 seed?

2. This goes along with a 9 game regular season and 16 team playoff field for class D. Have all playoff games on Friday evenings. Sorry but I find it difficult to attend 2:00 pm kickoffs on Wednesdays, Mondays, etc.. I'm suprised that the state allows such a short turn around between varsity football games, especially that late in the season. Yes these are young men and full of energy but football is a rough game and bodies naturally need time to heal. Also, high school football is just better when played on a Friday night (obviously just an opinion).

3. Lastly stop with the ridiculous 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 etc kickoff times. Hopefully this would go away if games were on Fridays throughout.

Sorry if I got too far off topic!

 

[custercounty]

I agree with above post.
I have ZERO interest in playing a game after NOT making the playoffs.

Also agree on changing ALL classes to 9 game schedules and 16 team playoff.

The 32 team playoff in D is a joke. Might as well let everyone in and make sure everybody gets a participation ribbon to go with there State Playoff T shirts.

 

[BigFeller]

Great idea, for those that love football and trust me, I am one of those. But, I think that there are so many kids that are becoming more interested in basketball and wrestling that they won't want to play that extra game due to risk of injury. I think there are a lot of basketball/wrestling coaches that breathe a sigh of relief when the football season is over and their whole team is intact. Adding another week and a game would increase that risk dramatically. That, and it always seems to me that injuries occur on that one extra play at practice or something that really doesn't matter or have much influence on the game itself. Again, I would love this, I think other football coaches would love this as well as some of the kids, especially if you play a team that you never play or get to go to a different field.

 

[northeastNebraska]

I agree with above post.
I have ZERO interest in playing a game after NOT making the playoffs.

Also agree on changing ALL classes to 9 game schedules and 16 team playoff.

The 32 team playoff in D is a joke. Might as well let everyone in and make sure everybody gets a participation ribbon to go with there State Playoff T shirts.

I don't think many teams would be interesting in playing a random 10th game with no prize. 10 weeks and kids want to move on to their next season.

But I agree with @custercounty. There is going to be at least four 2-6 teams in the playoffs in Class D1 this year because of opting down.

I mentioned this option in a thread yesterday. Thoughts?

The new C2 would could be a 9 man class that adds the remaining 11 schools to the top of the current D1 and that makes a 48 team class. (Which puts the lowest enrollment at 70 kids.)

Then you have Class D1 with enrollments under 70 to 50 that play 8 man football. (Would be like a 50 team class.)

The new Class D2 would have all enrollments under 50 play 6 man football. Which would be like 40 teams have the NSAA sanction it.

I feel like this would stop the opting up or down issue.


https://huskerlandpreps.forums.rivals.com/threads/potential-classification-changes.11491/

 

[Whippet92]

Why does it have to be one or the other on 16 or 32. How about 24? Top teams get a bye. This would be so much better than 32 teams in 8 man. There are going to be a number of ugly games next week.

 

[HighPlainsCoach]

I LOVE the idea. My only tweak would be that the bowls be set up ahead of time, with communities getting permission to host them. And a limit of 3 or something in each class. Much like college football. I'm not crazy about the adhoc nature of teams just looking for opponents. That would feel a little too jamboree/pick-up game for me. But with communities hosting them on a permanent basis, teams either accept...or don't. Betting the BB and wrestling coaches wouldn't be on board though...

 

[hailvictors2]

I fully realize that some teams would not be on board. I respect that. Those teams don't have to play. If they want to turn their pads in the following Monday they are welcome to do that. There are teams that will want to play. My problem is that the NSAA tells them that they can't and they have no logical basis behind that rule. If Ponca plays Centura or Shelby plays Gibbon it doesn't hurt anyone at the NSAA level.

 

[hailvictors2]

Good posts, interesting idea, and I commend you for thinking outside the box. Personally I would have no interest however. Just my opinion but after nine games and for a lot of these teams a sub 500 record I think they are just ready for the season to be done.

I do like the 9 game regular season and wish 8 man would adopt it as well. So many have a disagreement if 16 or 32 is the proper playoff field amount. The more regular season games the more the cream rises to the top and makes a 16 team field more likely to get the right teams in.

Some minor and simple changes I would like to see to the postseason are......

1. Give the higher seed home field advantage throughout. The current system has always puzzled me. It hardly awards the teams who performed best during the regular season unless the higher seed always wins. Why should the #1 seed potentially have to go on the road to the #3 seed?

2. This goes along with a 9 game regular season and 16 team playoff field for class D. Have all playoff games on Friday evenings. Sorry but I find it difficult to attend 2:00 pm kickoffs on Wednesdays, Mondays, etc.. I'm suprised that the state allows such a short turn around between varsity football games, especially that late in the season. Yes these are young men and full of energy but football is a rough game and bodies naturally need time to heal. Also, high school football is just better when played on a Friday night (obviously just an opinion).

3. Lastly stop with the ridiculous 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 etc kickoff times. Hopefully this would go away if games were on Fridays throughout.

Sorry if I got too far off topic!

I agree with you....get rid of the 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 kickoff times and play games on Friday night at 7:00 like you have done all year. I also agree that the 1 seed should never leave their home stadium. The whole "win on the road" rule is tired. I would also like to see the finals go back to high school stadiums. It was a way better atmosphere than the empty Memorial Stadium, but I realize I am the minority on that. If you keep it at Memorial Stadium they should at least move the games to night time. Playing a high school football game at 10:45 in the morning is utterly ridiculous.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

Compliments on a really fresh idea.

I think it is a cool idea, but see it potentially being viewed about like the NIT in basketball. You win...so what? We are officially the 65th best team in the nation!

9 Game regular season with 16 in the playoffs...absolutely! I agree that is sucks when they play these games in the middle of the week, but when they take 60% of the class to the playoffs there is no choice unless they want to play into December. Well, I guess they could start playing in July?

Cool idea which I could see a few teams going for!