More or less divisions??

[Casting Couch]

Does Ohio need more or less divisions in football or should we stay at 7?

[playboi12]

Less. Honestly, they should have stopped at five.

[vamp2syd]

Less... 6 was fine

[bkmk1]

Less for sure. The more divisions, the more watered down it gets. And that sucks especially come playoff time.

[EagleFan]

add D VIII for 8-Man

[big medicine]

OK say we go 5 divisions. We take the top 1/5 of schools by adjusted enrollment in DI, the second 1/5 would be D II, and so on ?

Would this not get us right back into the situation where the smallest schools in D I would be half the size of the largest, which creating more divisions was supposed to remedy in the first place ? Similar situation in the smallest division as well, except they don't seem to harp on it as much.

[Sykotyk]

I'd prefer six if it goes back to two days for the finals.

But given that Ohio doesn't seem to understand scheduling four games in one day, going to 8 {be it for 8man or just another 11man division) divisions wouldn't be feasible logistically.

[EagleFan]

If they added divisions, I'd guess a couple divisions could end up a week earlier, particularly 8-Man, and maybe a slimmed down D 7

[EagleFan]

or you could see a full day Thursday schedule, which is what they have in the basketball Final Four

[Msfootball]

Fewer

[queencitybuckeye]

Based on observed levels of overall play, four is enough. This assumes getting rid of the flawed idea that each division has to have the same number of teams. For example, there's little observable difference in the levels of play between D3 and D4. Combine 'em.

[FremontKeith]

Fewer divisions. Go back to four or five.

[winbypin]

More. Like 12 sounds fair.

[cjb56]

I thought five was the right number, back when that was the set-up. I still do.

[TigerPaw]

Originally Posted by queencitybuckeye

Based on observed levels of overall play, four is enough. This assumes getting rid of the flawed idea that each division has to have the same number of teams. For example, there's little observable difference in the levels of play between D3 and D4. Combine 'em.

Key point. Agreed. Base on enrollment spread.

D1 would have much fewer teams and that's ok. Could easily consolidate a couple other divisions away.

[Auggie]

I like this set up>

Div I: This would be the true state champion and would consist of the top 64 schools in terms of enrollment after some sort of combination of open enrollment multiplier and a resources factor included from the full list of schools in the state. Any size school could petition to move up to this classification on an annual basis. To encourage a jump up all teams make the playoffs.

Div II-V; This would be split equally among the remaining schools based on enrollment with no multipliers used.

Div VI: This would be a closed Division that schools would have to petition annually to gain entry. It would be for schools struggling to field a team regardless of actual enrollment size so it would be a home for the very small schools, troubled urban school, and those that have very limited resources. To guard against sand bagging to gain entry they would only be competing for Regional titles but still get a chance at a post season.

[serpico]

^^^ Would DII-V teams then be competing to be False State Champion or Non-True State Champion?

[JBaller]

Division 1 now feels a lot more watered down than it did with 6 divisions. I think 6 was pretty good. Approximately 120 teams per division.

[Raider6309]

6 divisions was probably the best

[EastYoungstown]

4

[StateChampion2012]

I'd go back to 6 if they either A. Add an 8 man division or B. A big round of school consolidations and closings happen. If not, I'd probably keep it the way it is.

[Old Wildcat]

Originally Posted by StateChampion2012

I'd go back to 6 if they either A. Add an 8 man division or B. A big round of school consolidations and closings happen. If not, I'd probably keep it the way it is.

How many 8 man football teams are in Ohio? Enough to warrant a division ??

[Killer Nut]

It does not matter how many divisions they go to, D1 we always be the problem. Just no way to fairly have schools with 1000-1500 boys in a division with schools having just over 600.

[StateChampion2012]

Originally Posted by Old Wildcat

How many 8 man football teams are in Ohio? Enough to warrant a division ??

I don't know if there's any but many that currently play D7 football could benefit from 8 Man (Ridgedale, Edon, Stryker, Etc.). Personally in my area, there's a few small schools like New Knoxville, Jackson Center, and Russia that I would like to see give it a try. The chances of this division happening are probably pretty slim though.

[nupanther]

Originally Posted by StateChampion2012

I don't know if there's any but many that currently play D7 football could benefit from 8 Man (Ridgedale, Edon, Stryker, Etc.). Personally in my area, there's a few small schools like New Knoxville, Jackson Center, and Russia that I would like to see give it a try. The chances of this division happening are probably pretty slim though.

Also, teams that dont have football may consider a start up team if it was 8 man football. Badger, Lordstown, Maplewood- just to name a few around my neck of the woods . This may seem silly to this board but maybe those teams could play flag football. Less money for start up teams. Ain't gotta worry about the size of players

[Stirred not Shaken]

While I would like fewer divisions, I do like the fact that in the lower divisions most of the players live in the school district that they participate for, to produce a homegrown state champion and not a recruited state championship.

[hoser]

Originally Posted by Stirred not Shaken

While I would like fewer divisions, I do like the fact that in the lower divisions most of the players live in the school district that they participate for, to produce a homegrown state champion and not a recruited state championship.

Uh, totally agree.

[FootballQueen]

Less!

[Rambo1980]

6

[Johnny Sins]

5 divisions

DI - 64-80 teams. 64 largest schools by competitive balance enrollment placed in DI. Schools that aren't in the top 64 can play up in DI if they choose to do so (LaSalle, Hoban, WW, etc.). Schools in the top 64 that are clearly unable to compete with the rest of the teams in the division can be moved down if the OHSAA chooses to do so (this would most likely apply to inner-city schools). No more than 16 schools can be moved up to DI in a given year (maximum 80).

DII-IV - 190-200 teams per division. Schools divided evenly by enrollment with no competitive balance. Teams can be moved up or down based on performance like in DI. Have a "Texas style" state playoffs where there's two playoff brackets per division. Top 16 teams per region in harbin points make the playoffs with each region divided into 2 brackets of 8 teams based off of enrollment. This would still allow the best teams to make the playoffs and play against teams of similar size.

DV - 64 teams. 8-man football. Schools can move up to other divisions but teams can't move down to DVI. 64 smallest schools plus any new programs that aren't larger than the biggest school in the division.