What will 6 classes bring?
- Thread starter 8162417
- Start date
Districts championships were almost always competitive, but the first and second rounds will be more competitive now. I think we will see this especially in classes 4-6. The previous class 4-5 districts oftentimes had schools with huge enrollment differences. That won't happen anymore.
Yeah, there's going to be tons of bad teams making the Final Four and winning state titles now.
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I agree with mohsbballfan, the enrollment differences with will make an impact on competitiveness in district play. From what it looks like class 6 will basically be the teams that were Class 5 plus a few private schools that have dominated in smaller classes. Correct me if I am wrong, but the move to 6 classes will affect the teams previously in classes 2, 3, & 4 the most. It appears those teams will be dispersed through 4 classes which should create a more level playing field (based of enrollment).
Class 4 will become the new class 3. I have no idea how MSHSAA plans on fitting all of the teams into class 4 based on enrollment. Seems like class 4 fits the vast majority of the schools in Missouri. Will be interested to see how the projected enrollments play out whenever they do release the districts.
There are more basketball teams, than football teams. COVID is the variable, what a year to roll our a new classification system. lol
Not really. Monroe City was class 1 in football and class 3 in basketball one year somehow.
Almost every small town of 1000 people or less have basketball teams, not many towns of that size have football teams.
No, most Class 1 football schools are Class 2 in basketball. Most 8-man are Class 1 in basketball.
Here are the procedures for districts (source: https://www.mshsaa.org/resources/pdf/Official Handbook.pdf)
2020-21 Classification Procedures:
1. Official Enrollments Finalized and Registrations Reviewed: Enrollments declared and finalized; enrollments are combined for the schools in Cooperative Sponsorships (sport/activity specific). For the sports of basketball, cross country, and track/field, determine which gender has more registrations, and begin Step 2 with that gender. (See By-Law 5.1.8)
2. Break into Last Year’s Classes: In enrollment order, place the current year’s registered schools a) into the same number of classes as the prior year, and b) into the same numbers per class as the prior year (for 2020-21, this will depend on the enrollment break system utilized during 2019-20).
3. 2.0 Differential Review: Calculate the enrollment differential for each class by dividing the largest school’s enrollment by the smallest school’s enrollment. Determine if the differential for each class, other than Class 1, is 2.0 or below (differentials from 2.01 to 2.04 will be rounded down to 2.0). If all classes above Class 1 have a differential of 2.0 or less, the number of classes are final (end of procedure, see Step 7). If any class’s differential (other than Class 1) is greater than 2.0, the number of schools in the upper classes should be adjusted to see if, by moving schools down from a larger class into a smaller class, all differentials can be made to meet the 2.0 limit. Moving up from Class 1, the class counts should either be equal to the number in Class 1 or the count should decrease as the class number increases (preserving an equal or waterfall approach) AND all differentials, other than Class 1, should be at 2.0 or below. If this is successful, the procedure ends; see Step 7.
4. Efforts to Stay Consistent: Attempts will be made to adjust the class lines and the numbers in the classes while maintaining the 2.0 differential BEFORE adding a class. (See Classification Note h.) If this is not possible, move to Step 5. 2020-21 MSHSAA OFFICIAL HANDBOOK Page 127 BOARD POLICIES
5. Add a Class: Increase the number of classes by one and place up to the applicable percentage of the total schools in the sport/activity into Class 1.
Now 2 classes: 70%
Now 3 classes: 50%
Now 4 classes: 30%
Now 5 classes: 25%
Now 6 classes: 20%
6. Percentage in Class 1 and Equally Divide the Rest: Equally distribute the remaining percentage of schools into the rest of the classes above Class 1. Return to Step 3 and review the differentials. Repeat as needed until the number of classes is finalized.
7. Ties: Enrollment ties across a class break will be ignored until after the Championship Factor has reclassified schools, due to those changes solving most ties.
8. Championship Factor Review and Adjustments: Move to Championship Factor section below for this second step of the classification process.
Notes pertaining to basketball or general:
b. The maximum number of schools in a class for team sports is 128
h. In regard to Step 3, if schools can be adjusted into classes in a way that all differentials above Class 1 are 2.0 or below, but the number of schools per class represents a heartbeat (i.e. an upper class has more schools than the number in the class below it) the board may consider delaying the addition of a class.
i. Unless Class 1 was a catch all class under the sport’s/activity’s 2019-20 breaking system, the number of schools in Class 1 in 2020-21 will not exceed the number of schools in Class 1 during 2019-20.
j. After the 2020-21 school year and the first phase of this new classification system has been implemented, the Board of Directors will monitor the number of schools in each sport/activity as described in By-Law 5.1 and consider additional or fewer classes as needed and as possible. While there are differences among sports/activities, an effort will be made to keep similar numbers of schools in a similar number of classes. Due to state facility contracts, dates needed for additional competition, and other planning requirements, the Board will determine the timeline for class expansion or reductions; such changes may not take place immediately.
k. The sport/activity Advisory Committees will have an opportunity to review the 2020-21 classifications at their annual meetings and provide feedback to the Board of Directors for 2021-22.
2020-21 Classification Procedures:
1. Official Enrollments Finalized and Registrations Reviewed: Enrollments declared and finalized; enrollments are combined for the schools in Cooperative Sponsorships (sport/activity specific). For the sports of basketball, cross country, and track/field, determine which gender has more registrations, and begin Step 2 with that gender. (See By-Law 5.1.8)
2. Break into Last Year’s Classes: In enrollment order, place the current year’s registered schools a) into the same number of classes as the prior year, and b) into the same numbers per class as the prior year (for 2020-21, this will depend on the enrollment break system utilized during 2019-20).
3. 2.0 Differential Review: Calculate the enrollment differential for each class by dividing the largest school’s enrollment by the smallest school’s enrollment. Determine if the differential for each class, other than Class 1, is 2.0 or below (differentials from 2.01 to 2.04 will be rounded down to 2.0). If all classes above Class 1 have a differential of 2.0 or less, the number of classes are final (end of procedure, see Step 7). If any class’s differential (other than Class 1) is greater than 2.0, the number of schools in the upper classes should be adjusted to see if, by moving schools down from a larger class into a smaller class, all differentials can be made to meet the 2.0 limit. Moving up from Class 1, the class counts should either be equal to the number in Class 1 or the count should decrease as the class number increases (preserving an equal or waterfall approach) AND all differentials, other than Class 1, should be at 2.0 or below. If this is successful, the procedure ends; see Step 7.
4. Efforts to Stay Consistent: Attempts will be made to adjust the class lines and the numbers in the classes while maintaining the 2.0 differential BEFORE adding a class. (See Classification Note h.) If this is not possible, move to Step 5. 2020-21 MSHSAA OFFICIAL HANDBOOK Page 127 BOARD POLICIES
5. Add a Class: Increase the number of classes by one and place up to the applicable percentage of the total schools in the sport/activity into Class 1.
Now 2 classes: 70%
Now 3 classes: 50%
Now 4 classes: 30%
Now 5 classes: 25%
Now 6 classes: 20%
6. Percentage in Class 1 and Equally Divide the Rest: Equally distribute the remaining percentage of schools into the rest of the classes above Class 1. Return to Step 3 and review the differentials. Repeat as needed until the number of classes is finalized.
7. Ties: Enrollment ties across a class break will be ignored until after the Championship Factor has reclassified schools, due to those changes solving most ties.
8. Championship Factor Review and Adjustments: Move to Championship Factor section below for this second step of the classification process.
Notes pertaining to basketball or general:
b. The maximum number of schools in a class for team sports is 128
h. In regard to Step 3, if schools can be adjusted into classes in a way that all differentials above Class 1 are 2.0 or below, but the number of schools per class represents a heartbeat (i.e. an upper class has more schools than the number in the class below it) the board may consider delaying the addition of a class.
i. Unless Class 1 was a catch all class under the sport’s/activity’s 2019-20 breaking system, the number of schools in Class 1 in 2020-21 will not exceed the number of schools in Class 1 during 2019-20.
j. After the 2020-21 school year and the first phase of this new classification system has been implemented, the Board of Directors will monitor the number of schools in each sport/activity as described in By-Law 5.1 and consider additional or fewer classes as needed and as possible. While there are differences among sports/activities, an effort will be made to keep similar numbers of schools in a similar number of classes. Due to state facility contracts, dates needed for additional competition, and other planning requirements, the Board will determine the timeline for class expansion or reductions; such changes may not take place immediately.
k. The sport/activity Advisory Committees will have an opportunity to review the 2020-21 classifications at their annual meetings and provide feedback to the Board of Directors for 2021-22.
Based on this, I don't think there is a guarantee that we will go to 6 classes this year. They will follow this procedure and if the 2.0 differential leads to 6 classes, we will have 6 classes.
Note: that this process is followed individually for each sport, so the school is not assigned to a given class. It is a team in a sport that is assigned in a given class.
