High school football: 6 classes for football clears hurdle

MIDVALE — The public will get a chance to weigh in on whether or not Utah should expand to six classifications in football.

The Utah High School Activities Association's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a draft of the 2013 realignment proposal, including the idea of dividing the state into six classifications in football but leaving schools divided into five classification in all other sports.

The public hearing is schedule for March 21 at 6 p.m. at the UHSAA offices, 199 E. 7200 South.

The BOT did make some tweaks to the proposal recommended by the realignment committee and the executive committee last week. First of all, they added ranges to the football classifications, which were originally proposed with hard numbers. The proposal is to have between 24-28 schools in 6A, 26-32 schools in 5A, 14-20 schools in 4A, 12-16 schools in 3A, 10-14 schools in 2A, with at least eight schools being classified as 1A.

The guarantee that 1A will be at least eight schools came after BOT chairman Bill Boyle pointed out that the state needs at least that many schools for a viable classification.

In all other sports and activities, the schools will be divided into five classifications. The ranges are slightly different with 24-28 schools in 5A, 28-32 in 4A, 16-24 in 3A, 16-24 in 2A and the remaining schools in 1A.

UHSAA executive director Rob Cuff answered concerns about finaincial issues. "Certainly securing sites and venues will be an additional cost, but that shouldn't be a deal-breaker," said Cuff. "I know there has been some talk about the fact we're doing this to make money, but this certainly isn't a money-making decision."

In fact, BOT member and co-chair of the realignment committee Paul Schulte reiterated that the proposal originated with the UHSAA's non-boundary committee — not staff or the realignment committee — and that it was a consensus decision to recommend it.

"It really came down to one simple fact," Schulte said. "The committee wanted to try and have schools closer in size competing against each other. Even with more classifications, the schools were more similiar than with fewer classifications. There wasn't any other agenda besides that."

Robert Garlick, Region 12's representative, said the feedback he'd received indicated schools might support six classifications in all sports.