7A New Classification numbers for 16-18

[Brian G]

http://www.arpreps.com/new-reclassification-numbers-causes-changes-in-schools/

Bentonville West in.
West Memphis out.

[Brian G]

Nice clean break here.

[larryb]

Predictions on what 7A West looks like with addition of Bentonville West or more importantly who gets bumped to 7a/6a Central / East

[HorseFeathers]

Predictions on what 7A West looks like with addition of Bentonville West or more importantly who gets bumped to 7a/6a Central / East

More like...Do they keep the Ft Smith Schools together or not.

[Lionheart88]

Here's a best-guess at how the new conferences will line out:

7A/6A Central
Siloam Springs
FS Northside
FS Southside
Greenwood
Russellville
Conway
Bryant
Catholic

7A/6A East
Jonesboro
Mountain Home
West Memphis
Marion
Searcy
Cabot
NLR
LR Central

7A/6A South
Pine Bluff
Sheridan
Benton
Lake Hamilton
Jacksonville
El Dorado
Texarkana

7A/6A West
Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Rogers Heritage
Springdale
Springdale HarBer
Fayetteville
Van Buren

Thoughts?  I really feel like sending Bryant back to the South, LR Central to the Central, and Jax to the East makes more geographic sense, but if they're wanting to keep a 'pure' 6A conference, the above is about the best you can do.

[WPWells]

I like the idea of going back to true 7A and 6A conferences

[ricepig]

I like the idea of going back to true 7A and 6A conferences

We are, I guess most forgot that they voted last year to have the 7A conferences all 7A. In football the 6A will be all 6A schools. In all other sports, the 6A and 5A will be geographic conferences, then each to it's respective classification for state championships.

[Nomad1324]

They also gave 7A the ability to have unbalanced conferences based on geography.

NW
Springdale
Har-Ber
Fayetteville
Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Heritage
Van Buren

C
Cabot
Conway
Central
Catholic
Bryant
NLR
Northside
Southside

The question becomes: what happens with Van Buren, Southside and Northside?

You can even the conferences by putting VB in the NW and the FS schools in the C.

[SouthpawSensation]

They also gave 7A the ability to have unbalanced conferences based on geography.

NW
Springdale
Har-Ber
Fayetteville
Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Heritage
Van Buren

C
Cabot
Conway
Central
Catholic
Bryant
NLR
Northside
Southside

The question becomes: what happens with Van Buren, Southside and Northside?

You can even the conferences by putting VB in the NW and the FS schools in the C.

Unbalanced for basketball and other sports. Not so much for football.
They must keep eight in each league for FB. For the other sports, don't be surprised to see a seven-team all-NWA conference and send VB and the two FS schools to the Central.

[Walter]

All schools enrollment numbers used

Looking at a couple of the private schools, the multiplier has not been applied.

Edited to refer to the AAA web page

[Walter]

Memphis dropping down makes travel easier for the 7A.

[Lionheart88]

All schools enrollment numbers used

Looking at a couple of the private schools, the multiplier has not been applied.

Your link doesn't work.  What modifier are you talking about?

[ricepig]

All schools enrollment numbers used

Looking at a couple of the private schools, the multiplier has not been applied.

Your link doesn't work.  What modifier are you talking about?

The one they did away with when the required them to play up one class......

[Walter]

All schools enrollment numbers used

Looking at a couple of the private schools, the multiplier has not been applied.

Your link doesn't work.  What modifier are you talking about?

The one they did away with when the required them to play up one class......

Thanks Ricepig I forgot about that. The link works it must be protected by the newspaper. I will see if I can find it somewhere else.

The newspaper got it from the AAA site and then made it subscription only. Somehow that does not seem right.

[bbishop]

I am confused.  Department of Ed has NLRHS enrollment about 500 students higher than AAA.  I did look at the last 3 years on Dept of Eds website. 

[Brian G]

I know it won't happen but now is the perfect time to think out of the box.

My suggestion:

7A West
Fayetteville
Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Rogers Heritage
Springdale
Springdale Har-Ber
Fort Smith Northside
Fort Smith Southside
Van Buren

for a total of 10.  Yep 10.

The Central can be 6 or they can bump the 7A to 18 or 20.

If we stay at 16:

I say 5(of the 10) teams from the West and 3(of 6) teams from the Central make the playoffs in all sports.   If the Central ends of with 8 teams, then they can have 4 but the Central 4 must play the W5 as a play in game.  If the central can get to 10 teams( 20 team 7A) them 5 from each make it with 4 vs 5 being a play in game to open all state tournaments.

I'm sure that going to 20 is a pipe dream.    But 18 is doable.  My argument is we have more "large schools" than we had before as Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville have added schools that are full blown 7A in enrollment.  It will eliminate this ping pong with VB and the Ft Smith schools being shuffled around.

I have more points but will leave it there for now.

[AT]

They also gave 7A the ability to have unbalanced conferences based on geography.

NW
Springdale
Har-Ber
Fayetteville
Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Heritage
Van Buren

C
Cabot
Conway
Central
Catholic
Bryant
NLR
Northside
Southside

The question becomes: what happens with Van Buren, Southside and Northside?

You can even the conferences by putting VB in the NW and the FS schools in the C.

This will be how it goes I assume. Van Buren is further North, even if just barely, so they are closer to the Northwest Arkansas schools.

Not to mention, since we assume Southside and Northside will probably never be split up unless the strangest of circumstances occur, if you were to give Southside and Northside the Northwest conference (to keep the ole 7A West together), then to keep the conferences balanced, who are you going to move out? Rogers, BV schools, Fayetteville, Rogers schools, or Springdale schools?

For football, these almost have to be the conferences.

[Baitshop]

DixiePrep, in an interview with Rebel Head Coach Jeff Williams this week, was told that when Bennie West begins playing a varsity schedule that the conferences will look like this:

7A West

Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Heritage
Springdale
HarBer
Fayetteville
Van Buren

7A Central

LR Central
LR Catholic
Cabot
Bryant
Conway
NLR
Southside
Northside

And FYI, the FSISD will never allow Northside and Southside to be split up.

[Brian G]

That's the "in box" thinking.  It's a given.

Everyone should be thankful that VB is 7A or Fort Smith would have a drama

[sevenof400]

For the record, I like the 10/6 idea.  Some out of the box thinking needs to be implemented and this is a good place to start.

This:

DixiePrep, in an interview with Rebel Head Coach Jeff Williams this week, was told that when Bennie West begins playing a varsity schedule that the conferences will look like this:

7A West

Bentonville
Bentonville West
Rogers
Heritage
Springdale
HarBer
Fayetteville
Van Buren

7A Central

LR Central
LR Catholic
Cabot
Bryant
Conway
NLR
Southside
Northside

And FYI, the FSISD will never allow Northside and Southside to be split up.

brings up a couple of questions.

Why does the district have that position?  I could see some advantages in sending one FS team to the west and one to the Central. 

But even more to the point, why would the refusal of the FSISD to split their schools prevent AAA from splitting the schools?  Who answers to who here?     

[Lionheart88]

Technically?  The AAA is theoretically answerable to its member districts.  But in practice, if they go against Fort Smith's wishes, what are they going to do, withdraw from the AAA?  I seriously doubt that the FSSD could gather the votes to make the AAA reverse a decision they didn't like.

[Baitshop]

Technically?  The AAA is theoretically answerable to its member districts.  But in practice, if they go against Fort Smith's wishes, what are they going to do, withdraw from the AAA?  I seriously doubt that the FSSD could gather the votes to make the AAA reverse a decision they didn't like.

I believe that having to worry about splitting the Fort Smith schools is a moot point. The growth in NWA will probably generate another HS in Springdale in the next 5-7 years. If and when that happens, Van Buren will be shoved back down into the 7A Central and will negate a decision on the part of the AAA or FSISD about splitting the 2 FS schools.

[SUGARTOWN]

How will the new Springdale High School effect this?

[ricepig]

As expected, VB to 7A West and the FS schools to the Central.



@JeremyMuckADG: Tentative 7A West for 16-18: Bentonville, Bentonville West, Fayetteville, Har-Ber, Heritage, Rogers, Springdale, Van Buren. #arpreps

[ricepig]

New 7A-Central: Bryant, Cabot, Conway, FS Northside, FS Southside, LR Catholc/MSM, LR Central & NLR. #arpreps  https://t.co/Yt0imn1SPy

[SouthpawSensation]

How will the new Springdale High School effect this?

If you take the 2016-18 reclassification numbers for Springdale and Har-Ber and split them evenly in three parts, all three would be Class 7A schools, with each of them about 100 students more than Van Buren. The Springdale superintendent said earlier this week plans are in the works to build a 2,000-student campus on the east side of the city in about five years.
If that takes place, Van Buren will become a Class 6A school. Then you would have the eight 7A schools in NWA, then the other eight for the Central would be the two Fort Smith schools, Bryant, Conway, Cabot, North Little Rock, LR Catholic/MSM and Little Rock Central.

[Brian G]

Springdale is not planning to have competitive varsity athletics for their 3rd  school.

It will be an "alternative learning" school.  Some students will be able to work days and go to school at night. 

[zebradynasty]

Actually I kinda like the new 7A Central! I know the FS schools will hate the travel but that is very competitive conference from top to bottom. With the Bentonville split/Lunney retire maybe the increase competitiveness can push the central to the championship?

[SUGARTOWN]

Springdale is not planning to have competitive varsity athletics for their 3rd  school.

It will be an "alternative learning" school.  Some students will be able to work days and go to school at night.

I didn't realize that. I just read that they're anticipating have 1000 students in a couple years with eventually 2000 in about 5 years.

[Brian G]

IIMO, Springdale will need a 4th!!!!

They are just now pushing second generations into the system.  Their influx was huge and now will grow exponentially.

[AirWarren]

IIMO, Springdale will need a 4th!!!!

They are just now pushing second generations into the system.  Their influx was huge and now will grow exponentially.

That growth is phenomenal. A huge anomaly in Arkansas for sure.