The stupidest thing your state high school association allows to happen

Going back to Arkansas, it's the same way, except the bottom basketball schools are Class A instead. If you play football and had enrollment in that range, you were automatically bumped to AA in all sports (AA was and is the lowest class for football). For a while the state gave you an option in non-football sports, but now that the enrollment differential has been reduced, the option was taken away.

Arkansas is a little skewed in the lower classifications because there are still a ton of middling-size schools, especially in the mountains and the northeast part, that don't play football. For some reason, football culture just never "took" there. That's been changing in the last decade, however, and more schools are now playing football.

 

Michigan has classes A-D, though they now are only used for basketball and volleyball.

The majority of Michigan sports are done in "nearly-equal divisions," that is, they take the total of schools fielding a particular team and create a number of divisions to match. For example, there are three state champions (Divisions 1-3) in hockey, and four in several other sports, such as baseball, softball, wrestling and track.

However, there are separate divisions and championships in the Upper Peninsula for golf, cross country, swimming, tennis and track (saves on travel - that's why Marquette got recognized in SI for having the best HS athletics in Michigan - far from it, it's just twice as large as any other UP school).

However, in football, there are eight nearly-equal divisions, that are not determined until the 256 statewide playoff qualifiers have been set. They're then chopped up into eight brackets. The process seems confusing, but actually works relatively well.

 

If Texas did only eight brackets, it would be an improvement over the 20 they have now (12 in UIL, six in TAPPS, and 2 in TCAF/TCAL). That doesn't count the SPC, which is split between Oklahoma and Texas.

 

We refer to the MHSAA schools, the so-called public schools by their class number, as in Class 6A. We refer to the MAIS schools, the so-called private schools, by their class letters, as in Class AAA. It's just a way of distinguishing between the two associations. I say so-called, because there are about a dozen parochial schools in the MHSAA.

 

No idea. But then again, I have no idea what the hell "A" is even supposed to stand for or why other states use it in the first place.

 

It makes sense for an A-B-C-D system like Michigan. No sense for any others...

 

From the record book that MSHSAA sent me for free I know back in the old days— like, REAL old, 50s and 60s old— they used to have three classes called "L", "M" and "S". For, of course, "large" "medium" and "small." I think that was mostly for basketball. Then, sometime in the mid 70s and without warning they changed it to "1A" "2A" "3A", etc. No idea why.

 

Kansas started out with A and B when it went to classes. There was a Class C but it looks like that was only for debate and after about 10 years of that, it was changed to AA, A, and B.

AA came about in 1941. BB was created in 1952. When the state went to five classes, the 5A, 4A, etc. thing came along.

 

At another paper in the state tonight, the official threw the paper's photographer out of the gym for using a flash.
Head of the state association didn't cite any rule when the reporter asked which rule the ref was following; passed the buck to the head of officials and PR flack.
Would love to know what bullshit the referee spews when he files his response.

 

If the ref feels as if the flash is a distraction he can ask for it not to be used. If the photog fails to comply he can be thrown out. All rule books have a section that says (paraphrase) any circumstance not covered in the rules is open to fall under the head official's decision.

Sorry, just 'cause you're the press doesn't give you carte blanche.

 

The home school apparently claimed the photographer was doing it to distract on free throws.
Problem was the photographer didn't shoot photos during free throws.
Also, if the school doesn't want flash photography, the school can ban it. Their officials can ask a photographer to follow the school's directions, but they don't have the "power" to eject a photographer. (state association official's wording here). Key here is the fact the photog was A) run without being asked not to use a flash and B) the reasoning behind it is apparently bullshit. A simple check of the photog's card in the camera can reveal who was telling the truth -- if it's sequential, it's pretty clear the officials were full of shit.
Since it happened in the same town where the association is based, if I'm the local paper, the photographer and editor are waiting for the doors to open with the card and camera in hand.


Sorry, but if the photographer is following the rules, the official doesn't get carte blanche to do what he wants outside the lines without repercussions.

 

Officials have the power to eject anyone they want from a game.