Board Approves Cross-Bracket Pairings for 2016-18 in Class 5A, 6A; Moratorium Lifted on Contracts

March 24, 2016 Football Blog Updates

The Board of Control has finalized the cross-bracket pairings for Class 5A and 6A in the football playoffs for 2016, 2017 and 2018. The Board had determined in January, following months of dialogue and review, that some form of cross-bracketing was the desire of the membership (as opposed to playing the first two rounds of the playoffs within the district). In January, the Board then also approved rotating those regional pairings (cross-bracket pairings) in 5A and 6A for 2016 through 2018 with staff directed to bring back proposed options to the March 18th meeting. Those pairings were then finalized by the Board of Control at the March meeting and are listed at http://www.khsaa.org/football/playoffpairings.pdf. The Board also approved in January a provision that stipulates that if equal seeded teams meet in consecutive years in the third / fourth rounds, the game site from the prior year will be reversed so that the same team will not host in consecutive years.

With the completion of this step, the Commissioner has lifted the previously imposed moratorium on the signing of contracts. Schools are reminded the contracts are only enforceable and valid if signed by the Principal or by the Designated Representative as listed on the KHSAA website and defined by Bylaw 1.

The Board continues to review the option of cross-bracketing Classes 2A, 3A, and 4A for 2017 and 2018, and a survey will be released to the membership in late March to determine the opinion of those schools. While concerns continue to be expressed about travel with cross-bracketing, with the clear will of the membership being to rotate pairings, the Board desires to get additional information from the Class 2A, 3A and 4A schools before making final determinations. The survey will require a response from the Principal or Designated Representative, and will encourage school and school system collaboration on a final answer.

The Commissioner’s office will continue gathering feedback from Class 1A schools for 2017 and 2018 bracketing on an individual basis (and perhaps a follow-up survey) because of the extreme geographic concerns in Class 1A due to the number of schools. 

Specific questions should be directed to the Commissioner via email at jtackett@khsaa.org.

– KHSAA –

The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/