Following the completion of the 2014 football season, members of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) garnered enough votes within their Board of Managers to expand the state regional football playoffs to include a total of twenty six teams rather than just ten. Despite disapproval from the North Coast Section (NCS), Central Coast Section (CCS) and Southern Section (SS), the vote was still passed 71-64.
Under the old CIF playoff format, a committee of ten commissioners would determine the ten teams from the various interstate sections to be eligible for one of the five regional state games. Yet, this method was flawed in that it seemed to disregard the teams’ records in favor of the difficulty of their schedule and division.
In CCS, issues came up with respect to the teams selected to compete in the state regionals. Even after going through the season undefeated and winning the Open Division championship, Sacred Heart Prep was still not selected to advance to the state regionals.
“[The new bracket gives more] schools an opportunity to play more games that they don’t get to play now. There isn’t a state tournament that a section champion doesn’t get a chance [to play in] if they want to, except football. So now they get a chance.” says CIF executive director Roger Blake of the new postseason format.
With the newly approved CIF expansion, teams from all ten sections will be able to play in one of the thirteen state regional games. Additionally, in regards to the sections that include an Open Division, the new state regional qualifications will allow the San Diego Section (SDS) and CCS to select other division champions on top of teams from the Open Division.
CCS itself can select five teams from its section to participate in the CIF state regionals. It was from this situation that the consolation bracket idea came in. To help determine which teams they might send to the state regionals, CCS implemented an expanded bracket to the 2014 postseason which included consolation matches and offered teams that did not win the division to play in the regional matches. However, this prospect was met with much disapproval from many coaches and players alike.
The format received considerable chagrin from many who accused the bracket of being too long and inviting to the possibility of injuries.
“We could decide to have a team from the Open Division replace one of our section champions, says SDS commissioner Jerry Schneipp to Pomerado News. “We have that flexibility, but I am not sure what direction we are going to. My inclination is we will just send all our section [winners], but I don’t know how [the CIF feels] about that.”
Hence, Aragon football coach Steve Sell proposed a completely new system to help determine which teams from CCS would be selected to represent the section in the state regionals. The new proposal allows for more teams to be in contention for one of the five spots for the state regionals.
The plan calls for 24 “A” league teams to be placed into three open division playoff brackets and 16 “B” and “C” league teams to be placed in the bottom two playoff brackets as separated by enrollment.
According to the Mercury News, “The champions of the three ‘A’ league divisions will move on to the regionals, and the champions of the ‘B’ and ‘C’ league divisions will get to raise a CCS banner [at the end of their playoffs].” In effect, CCS would only be sending the three teams from the “A” league that won their respective division brackets.
This proposal still needs to be passed by CIF this coming April, but should the format be adopted, the teams would be more appropriately selected to compete in state. Most importantly, this new system will no longer include consolation games.
In addition, this new format gives more teams a fairer chance to compete in the state regionals. All in all, contrary to the previous CIF bracket, all ten sections will now be able to send a better representation of their division to the state bowls.
