AAA Proposal For Conference Re-drawing

[HorseFeathers]

The non football 2a schools already start earlier than the football schools.

[bulldog42]

It happens in 3a as well.  In the 3A1E 4 schools don't have football.  They usually have an advantage early, but it tends to always balance itself out.  The last 3 years I think on the boys side the conference tournament has been won by a football school on the boys side and a football school has won the regular season 2 year.  It is about the same balance on the girls side.  Maybe the non-football schools have one more lately on the girls side, but they have been the stronger teams.   

[Jock]

Nobody likes the travel. But we can all agree that mismatching schools and spending all that time and $$ to watch blowout games is bad for parents, fans, and especially the athletes. For example, this new alignment wud have a smaller sized 5A school playing a larger 6A school in all sports but football. In the worst cases, you'll have small private schools that already play "UP" in class due to the multiplier rule essentially playing "UP" 2 LEVELS. instead if creating fun and memorable rivalry games, it will create annual blowout games that nobody cares about and nobody wants to see. There needs to be a better solution to the travel issue.

[HorseFeathers]

Nobody likes the travel. But we can all agree that mismatching schools and spending all that time and $$ to watch blowout games is bad for parents, fans, and especially the athletes. For example, this new alignment wud have a smaller sized 5A school playing a larger 6A school in all sports but football. In the worst cases, you'll have small private schools that already play "UP" in class due to the multiplier rule essentially playing "UP" 2 LEVELS. instead if creating fun and memorable rivalry games, it will create annual blowout games that nobody cares about and nobody wants to see. There needs to be a better solution to the travel issue.

There's no multiplier on Private schools anymore....They play up a level from there enrollment, and if your P.A you play up 2 classes because you want to.

[Jock]

Call it "multiplier" call it "playing up" a classification level, call it whatever u like. If passed, this rule has the same effect. U create mis-matches in most sports besides football, where perennial blowouts occur due to smaller sized schools being forced to play regular season games against much larger schools...  and gets further amplified for some private schools. End result is the same.

[HorseFeathers]

Call it "multiplier" call it "playing up" a classification level, call it whatever u like. If passed, this rule has the same effect. U create mis-matches in most sports besides football, where perennial blowouts occur due to smaller sized schools being forced to play regular season games against much larger schools...  and gets further amplified for some private schools. End result is the same.

Fairly certain if you take away football from this equation then the private schools are more than competitive playing up a class...Only 2 come to mind when I think of horrible football teams because of playing up, Subiaco and Arkansas Baptist...Am I missing something??

[SouthpawSensation]

A look at the enrollment numbers, and there are only three private schools that will directly feel the sting of this. Those are Little Rock Christian, LR Episcopal and Harding Academy.
LR Christian would feel it the worst. It has 4A numbers but has to play 5A, which will be matched with 6A schools.
Pulaski Academy could be in this picture, but it could always opt out and drop down to Class 4A status and not feel the hurt.
The other private schools won't feel the sting at all because they will actually be grouped with the class they normally would be in if they didn't have to play up a class.

[Jock]

Call it "multiplier" call it "playing up" a classification level, call it whatever u like. If passed, this rule has the same effect. U create mis-matches in most sports besides football, where perennial blowouts occur due to smaller sized schools being forced to play regular season games against much larger schools...  and gets further amplified for some private schools. End result is the same.

Fairly certain if you take away football from this equation then the private schools are more than competitive playing up a class...Only 2 come to mind when I think of horrible football teams because of playing up, Subiaco and Arkansas Baptist...Am I missing something??

IDK about that HF.  besides Episcopal (who is the biggest athletic recruiter of them all) I can't name a single private school that has won a state or conference championship in basketball the last few years.  i could be wrong about that.  u certainly correct about AB and Subiaco.  now u do see the private schools competing pretty good in golf, cross country, etc.  my main point however was not just private schools, but the fact that all schools (public and private) that find themselves on the bottom side of this new proposed rule will forced to play up in class for regular season, and will create annual "blowout" games which are bad for everybody involved.  that's the danger (in my opinion) of the new proposal.

[Jock]

A look at the enrollment numbers, and there are only three private schools that will directly feel the sting of this. Those are Little Rock Christian, LR Episcopal and Harding Academy.
LR Christian would feel it the worst. It has 4A numbers but has to play 5A, which will be matched with 6A schools.
Pulaski Academy could be in this picture, but it could always opt out and drop down to Class 4A status and not feel the hurt.
The other private schools won't feel the sting at all because they will actually be grouped with the class they normally would be in if they didn't have to play up a class.

great points Southpaw, I think u exactly right.  not worried about Episcopal tho, the way the recruit they could play up 3 classes and be just fine.  I do worry about all the PUBLIC schools that would have to play "up" under the new rule.  they would be geographically close to each other, have to play each other every year, and possibly the smaller school gets blown out year after year.  I think AAA should be striving for creating a competitive environment, rather than creating annual blowout games in order to reduce travel.  surely there is a better solution to be found.

[HorseFeathers]

Call it "multiplier" call it "playing up" a classification level, call it whatever u like. If passed, this rule has the same effect. U create mis-matches in most sports besides football, where perennial blowouts occur due to smaller sized schools being forced to play regular season games against much larger schools...  and gets further amplified for some private schools. End result is the same.

Fairly certain if you take away football from this equation then the private schools are more than competitive playing up a class...Only 2 come to mind when I think of horrible football teams because of playing up, Subiaco and Arkansas Baptist...Am I missing something??

IDK about that HF.  besides Episcopal (who is the biggest athletic recruiter of them all) I can't name a single private school that has won a state or conference championship in basketball the last few years.  i could be wrong about that.  u certainly correct about AB and Subiaco.  now u do see the private schools competing pretty good in golf, cross country, etc.  my main point however was not just private schools, but the fact that all schools (public and private) that find themselves on the bottom side of this new proposed rule will forced to play up in class for regular season, and will create annual "blowout" games which are bad for everybody involved.  that's the danger (in my opinion) of the new proposal.

Let's See...Just State Champions in the past few years for private schools...
Football
2012--Harding Academy
2011- Pulaski Academy
08-10 Shiloh won 3 in a row

Basketball
Boys
2014--Episcopal,
2013--Harding Acadmey,
2009--Conway St Joseph, Arkansas Baptist
Girls
2011-Shiloh Chrsitian
2010-Conway Christian
2009-Shiloh Christian

Baseball
2013--Pulaski Academy, Harding Academy, Con St Joe
2012--Shiloh Christian
2011--Shiloh Christian,
2010--Shiloh Christian, Trinity Christian


You can argue that, that is a small amount of schools...but compared to the total % of private schools vs public schools then without doing the math they are still winning their share of state titles...

[Jock]

Call it "multiplier" call it "playing up" a classification level, call it whatever u like. If passed, this rule has the same effect. U create mis-matches in most sports besides football, where perennial blowouts occur due to smaller sized schools being forced to play regular season games against much larger schools...  and gets further amplified for some private schools. End result is the same.

Fairly certain if you take away football from this equation then the private schools are more than competitive playing up a class...Only 2 come to mind when I think of horrible football teams because of playing up, Subiaco and Arkansas Baptist...Am I missing something??

IDK about that HF.  besides Episcopal (who is the biggest athletic recruiter of them all) I can't name a single private school that has won a state or conference championship in basketball the last few years.  i could be wrong about that.  u certainly correct about AB and Subiaco.  now u do see the private schools competing pretty good in golf, cross country, etc.  my main point however was not just private schools, but the fact that all schools (public and private) that find themselves on the bottom side of this new proposed rule will forced to play up in class for regular season, and will create annual "blowout" games which are bad for everybody involved.  that's the danger (in my opinion) of the new proposal.

Let's See...Just State Champions in the past few years for private schools...
Football
2012--Harding Academy
2011- Pulaski Academy
08-10 Shiloh won 3 in a row

Basketball
Boys
2014--Episcopal,
2013--Harding Acadmey,
2009--Conway St Joseph, Arkansas Baptist
Girls
2011-Shiloh Chrsitian
2010-Conway Christian
2009-Shiloh Christian

Baseball
2013--Pulaski Academy, Harding Academy, Con St Joe
2012--Shiloh Christian
2011--Shiloh Christian,
2010--Shiloh Christian, Trinity Christian


You can argue that, that is a small amount of schools...but compared to the total % of private schools vs public schools then without doing the math they are still winning their share of state titles...

Good stats HF, I can't argue those facts. I will stand by my original statement tho, which was besides Episcopal, u don't see Private schools winning BASKETBALL championships these last few years, ie. 3-4yrs.  On the boys side, that wud only be Harding... One school in the entire state in the last 5yrs. Playing up classification does make a difference, public or private. And playing up 2 levels would dramatically hurt the competitiveness of games, in my opinion. Hat tip on those stats HF!

[ricepig]

Call it "multiplier" call it "playing up" a classification level, call it whatever u like. If passed, this rule has the same effect. U create mis-matches in most sports besides football, where perennial blowouts occur due to smaller sized schools being forced to play regular season games against much larger schools...  and gets further amplified for some private schools. End result is the same.

Fairly certain if you take away football from this equation then the private schools are more than competitive playing up a class...Only 2 come to mind when I think of horrible football teams because of playing up, Subiaco and Arkansas Baptist...Am I missing something??

IDK about that HF.  besides Episcopal (who is the biggest athletic recruiter of them all) I can't name a single private school that has won a state or conference championship in basketball the last few years.  i could be wrong about that.  u certainly correct about AB and Subiaco.  now u do see the private schools competing pretty good in golf, cross country, etc.  my main point however was not just private schools, but the fact that all schools (public and private) that find themselves on the bottom side of this new proposed rule will forced to play up in class for regular season, and will create annual "blowout" games which are bad for everybody involved.  that's the danger (in my opinion) of the new proposal.

Let's See...Just State Champions in the past few years for private schools...
Football
2012--Harding Academy
2011- Pulaski Academy
08-10 Shiloh won 3 in a row

Basketball
Boys
2014--Episcopal,
2013--Harding Acadmey,
2009--Conway St Joseph, Arkansas Baptist
Girls
2011-Shiloh Chrsitian
2010-Conway Christian
2009-Shiloh Christian

Baseball
2013--Pulaski Academy, Harding Academy, Con St Joe
2012--Shiloh Christian
2011--Shiloh Christian,
2010--Shiloh Christian, Trinity Christian


You can argue that, that is a small amount of schools...but compared to the total % of private schools vs public schools then without doing the math they are still winning their share of state titles...

Good stats HF, I can't argue those facts. I will stand by my original statement tho, which was besides Episcopal, u don't see Private schools winning BASKETBALL championships these last few years, ie. 3-4yrs.  On the boys side, that wud only be Harding... One school in the entire state in the last 5yrs. Playing up classification does make a difference, public or private. And playing up 2 levels would dramatically hurt the competitiveness of games, in my opinion. Hat tip on those stats HF!

Basketball is probably the only sport playing up would matter, and that would depend on your conference and classification. In baseball, volleyball, soccer, or softball, most teams already play their area teams as mid-week games. It looks to me like you will just swap travel to your old conference foes as mid-week games, now.

[Old Man River]

I know that I don't fully understand this topic, but I will say that around mountain home there are 1A schools like Calico Rock Norfork ICC and Viola. These schools are all within a 40 minute drive. There is ONE 2a school (cotter) that is also very close, most all of these schools play cotter on a yearly basis. Besides Cotter, however, there is not another 2A school within 100 miles!

The distance is bad enough that Cotter has actually petitioned to move up to 3A in order to reduce their drive times. They are the closest 2A teams to this area though, so....

Are these the kind of changes that the AAA is proposing?