New Jersey will expand its number of sectional football champions this year from 20 to 24 after the state’s governing body for high school athletics passed a resolution that will allow 32 additional schools entrance into the playoffs each season.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association executive committee passed the resolution Wednesday — by a 21-5 margin (with three abstentions), though not before a lengthy discussion — to expand the high school football public group classifications from four to five. Starting this fall, 160 teams will make the playoffs instead of 128.
The number of public schools in each section will be reduced, in most cases, from 19 teams to 15 teams. Also, under the new resolution, schools with a record below .500 will be eligible to fill remaining postseason openings, with placement based on power points.
“We’re trying to expand the tournament to give more opportunities to kids,” said Jack DuBois, the NJSIAA assistant director in charge of football.
The change may also pay financial dividends for this financially struggling organization as the number of postseason games will increase by 25 percent.
This movement comes five months after a proposal to streamline football playoffs and play down to group champions was narrowly voted down. NJSIAA executive director Steve Timko said group champions were not discussed as part of this current resolution.
“From all the discussion around here, that’s not part of the equation,” Timko said. “That has never been an ulterior or ultimate goal in this proposal.”
Detractors of the resolution said they felt rushed into making a decision and it would be fairer to allow the full membership a chance to chime in.
“Sometimes it’s more prudent to do a quick straw survey,” said Paul Spaventa, the Gloucester City School superintendent. “I think it would be more readily accepted if people had some sort of say even if they disagreed with the final decision. There might be some ill feelings from certain sections if they have the perception that it’s being jammed down their throats.”
This particular resolution does not affect the non-public playoffs, which currently crowns four group champions. A separate proposal is in the works to change the non-public postseason system into a sectional format (North A and B, South A and B).
However, Monsignor Michael Kelly, the athletic director at Seton Hall Prep, suggested having three groups in the north because of the large discrepancies in enrollment figures. The advisory committee will discuss the proposal prior to next month’s executive committee meeting.
• The NJSIAA is accepting bids from venues looking to host the individual state wrestling tournament, which has been held at Boardwalk Hall since 2002.
Timko said the options must be looked at for financial reasons. The NJSIAA last year paid Boardwalk Hall a $82,000 rental fee and $30,000 facility fee, he said.
“If our goal is to be more financially prudent we may have to look at what the best alternatives could be for NJSIAA,” Timko said.
Timko said the organization is in the process of determining its needs in a venue for such a well-attended event and hopes to have sent formal requests for bids out by the end of the school year.
• A separate change may come to this year’s wrestling tournament in the form of additional wrestlebacks. The executive committee heard its first reading of a proposal to offer a second chance to the 112 wrestlers who lose in the preliminary round of the individual state championships.
Timko said the finance committee is determining the ramifications of adding an extra session of matches and said he did not know if the organization could or would find a way to sell tickets for that extra session.
