The Class 7A and 6A state football playoffs may return to their traditional format in 2016.
The Arkansas Activities Association's board of directors discussed a proposal Wednesday at its annual summer workshop in North Little Rock that would eliminate blended football conferences in Class 7A and Class 6A.
The proposal calls for two eight-team conferences in both Class 7A and Class 6A, with the top four teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs. If the proposal passes, it would return the playoffs to the traditional format in place before the 2012-2014 AAA cycle.
The proposal will be voted on by the AAA's governing body at its Aug. 6 meeting at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. It would need a two-thirds vote to pass.
Class 6A members voted in 2011 to send all 16 of its members to the football postseason, but Class 7A uses a power-rating system and sends only 12 of its 16 teams to the postseason.
The 2011 decision adopted by Class 6A schools eliminated first-round byes, but it led to other concerns. Class 7A and Class 6A teams play each other during conference play before splitting into their appropriate classifications for the playoffs. So many teams with losing records -- mainly in Class 6A -- have permeated the playoff bracket.
Eight of the 16 teams that played in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs last season had records below .500. In fact, two of those teams -- Little Rock Hall (0-9) and Mountain Home (0-10) -- didn't win a game. Hall lost to 7A-Central champion Greenwood and Mountain Home lost to El Dorado, which went on to win the Class 6A state championship for the fourth time in five seasons.
In basketball, baseball and softball, Class 7A schools will only face other Class 7A members in conference play larger conferences and less travel. Class 6A and 5A would combine for conference play before splitting into their appropriate classifications for the state playoffs. Classes 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A also would combine for conference play and split into their appropriate classifications for the state playoffs.
Other proposals included football player safety and schedule changes, which all passed and will be up for approval in August. They included:
The high school football season beginning a week earlier in 2016. In 2013, the state playoffs were pushed back one week because of inclement weather and the second weekend of the state finals were played Dec. 20-21 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, one week later than usual.
Reducing full contact in football practices.
Limiting full contact to three days during the week, including games. The window would be six days before the first regular-season game through the state finals.
Sports on 06/12/2014