Can we finally admit....

[LBK6manFan]

That the Division 1/2 split has been awful and makes no sense... It makes traveling costs rise and scheduling opponents harder. Why not 1 division, 8 teams each district (if possible), and let 3 teams go to the playoffs. Someone please look at the playoffs during the tenure of the split and before, competition has weakened. I was fortunate enough to play in an 8 team district and it actually felt like a district championship mattered. We were a smaller school at the time I played and competed well. We weren't "afraid" of the bigger schools and it felt better beating the bigger schools

Somebody please do the research on the playoff scores (even district) before the split happened and then do the research after the split happened. You'll realize it just watered down competition and made it unfair (grandfalls '13) to be the actual state champion. (Follett beats Crowell,, Grandfalls beats Follett, both Grandfalls and Crowell win state championships...) What do yall think?

 

[Morey P.]

You'll realize it just watered down competition and made it unfair (grandfalls '13) to be the actual state champion. (Follett beats Crowell,, Grandfalls beats Follett, both Grandfalls and Crowell win state championships...) What do yall think?

Water Valley beat Grandfalls 32-20 and Follett 60-54, but lost to Crowell 52-46. I agree with you for the most part, but wrong example to bring up.

 

[Texlonghorn75]

That the Division 1/2 split has been awful and makes no sense... It makes traveling costs rise and scheduling opponents harder. Why not 1 division, 8 teams each district (if possible), and let 3 teams go to the playoffs. Someone please look at the playoffs during the tenure of the split and before, competition has weakened. I was fortunate enough to play in an 8 team district and it actually felt like a district championship mattered. We were a smaller school at the time I played and competed well. We weren't "afraid" of the bigger schools and it felt better beating the bigger schools

Somebody please do the research on the playoff scores (even district) before the split happened and then do the research after the split happened. You'll realize it just watered down competition and made it unfair (grandfalls '13) to be the actual state champion. (Follett beats Crowell,, Grandfalls beats Follett, both Grandfalls and Crowell win state championships...) What do yall think?

I agree with you 100 per cent but nothing is going to change. Competition in D2 had been pretty anemic the last few years with either Richland Springs or Strawn totally dominating their opponents. D1 has faired better with Milford in the east and Throckmorton, Garden City, Borden County, McLean, Abbott and Crowell taking turns winning D1 championships. May see a competition change once several of the former eleven man schools getting their chops up in six man.

 

[Edward Golden]

Having only 3 district games is terrible..I would like to see one division and eight team districts and take four to the playoffs like 2A-6A. Winning a district championship once was the only way to make the playoffs so each game was so important. Now it seems like there isn't even a district. But with our everybody gets a trophy society I doubt we ever go back to one division.

 

[Deleted member 21909]

Does anyone remember the 1st round byes because there weren't enough teams in sixman to make 16 districts? I also love the team districts with 4 teams, one is solid to decent and the other 3 are terrible. One year, there was a 3-way tie for 2nd place and all the teams were below 3-7 (remember, they have to play each other.)

I think one division would really help the burgeoning south Texas sixman schools and the Trans-Pecos sixman schools because they both have a hard time filling a schedule. For instance, I believe Leakey, Nueces, and Medina are all D1, but the travel time becomes INSANE if one of them drops to D2 or another schoo with a D2 student body wants to join

 

[FCSA football]

Remember there will be 7-8 teams moving from the Independent ranks to UIL districts next year.
Just saying..........

 

[txhsfb]

You do know there is a different solution to the scheduling issue don't you? And it's a solution that doesn't require sitting around waiting for the UIL to do something they aren't going to do.

If scheduling non-district games is such a hassle and having more district games is desirable, then have more district games. Play your district playing every team in your district twice. In a four team district, that would give you 6 district games.

Their is no UIL rule governing how a district conducts district play. It is left to the DEC of the district.

 

[Tom Duncan]

We may play each other twice, as a possible solution for the lack of games available mid-season in our 4 team district next season. Our district would still be pretty isolated even if there was only one division.

 

[LBK6manFan]

You'll realize it just watered down competition and made it unfair (grandfalls '13) to be the actual state champion. (Follett beats Crowell,, Grandfalls beats Follett, both Grandfalls and Crowell win state championships...) What do yall think?

Water Valley beat Grandfalls 32-20 and Follett 60-54, but lost to Crowell 52-46. I agree with you for the most part, but wrong example to bring up.

I used Grandfalls '13 as an example because they has the lowest enrollment in 6 man at the time. I Believe like 23 students in their entire H.S. What they did was impressive. I get the water Valley comparison too. I'm just saying we need to get back to one division.
8 team districts, 3 teams go from each district, 2-3 seeds from each district play first round. District champ would get a bye week. Yes scheduling would be a lot easier when you have 3 non district games in my opinion.

 

[LBK6manFan]

We may play each other twice, as a possible solution for the lack of games available mid-season in our 4 team district next season. Our district would still be pretty isolated even if there was only one division.

When we had 8 team districts and one division back in the early 2000s, there were some districts that only had 6 teams in their district because that's all that was around. I believe there were only 2 districts with 6 teams in it. Going off of memory...

 

[videojoe]

I could not agree more with the laments that i've read in this thread. The two-division split has been terrible in every way. My biggest regret is that The Split corrupted the history and legacy of 6-man football as a whole. I could elaborate...but I wouldn't know where to begin and don't want to offend the programs who have "benefited" from this ill-conceived change.

 

[Johnny South]

In my opinion: I was against dividing sixman into two divisions at the first. But as uil has allowed larger schools to come in, it is a good thing. Any way you look at it, the cream is always going to rise to the top and the best teams will be there in the end.
There is something that I would like to see happen and there have been several discussions about it in the past, and that is combining of two districts into one, making 6 to 10 team districts. Most of the scheduling problems are instantly solved. Only travel problems remain, which are not that big of a deal nowadays. Combine two districts and take four teams to the playoffs. Everything stays as is for playoffs.

 

[LBK6manFan]

In my opinion: I was against dividing sixman into two divisions at the first. But as uil has allowed larger schools to come in, it is a good thing. Any way you look at it, the cream is always going to rise to the top and the best teams will be there in the end.
There is something that I would like to see happen and there have been several discussions about it in the past, and that is combining of two districts into one, making 6 to 10 team districts. Most of the scheduling problems are instantly solved. Only travel problems remain, which are not that big of a deal nowadays. Combine two districts and take four teams to the playoffs. Everything stays as is for playoffs.

West Texas schools, makes it easier. TX panhandle schools makes it easier. East Texas schools makes it easier. I honestly dont like your idea but I am against the division split. Theres some D2 teams that could make a championship run in D1, like Milford did. I dont like the idea of 4 teams going to the playoffs, still waters it down. I played with only 2 teams in our 8 team district to advance, it was awesome. What about Fort Elliott upsetting Whitharral in '02 (defending state champs) with 24 kids enrolled at their high school at the time. What about Lazbuddie in '98 making it to the semis. Rochester, Rule. The division split just creates a stigma of oh no we have to play a D1 school!!! Also, these 3 team districts are ridiculous. You could be 1-9 and make the playoffs. Does not make sense

 

[swires]

I like the division split. Yes the playoffs are watered down. But it is very disheartening for a school with 10 or 12 kids on the team to complete against 30. There are some exceptions to the rule for sure but I would say for the most part, DII teams dont have the capability to play with DI teams. I played a whole heap of homecoming games in high school because the schools with 30 kids would destroy us with 12. Is it life? Sure. Did I survive? Sure. Would kids survive today? Sure. Would travel still be involved? Of course. We traveled 3 hrs I dont know how many times to play a non district opponent. If the the split is such a big deal, then I guess all the DI teams with 30 kids should have to play 2A crowded field ball and we will see how well they compete.

 

[swires]

Something that would offset traveling costs and also possibly help with official shortages is to play Jr High and Varsity games on the same day. The kids could all travel on one bus in most cases and schools would cut their traveling in half. This wouldnt work very well for JV games but it would definitely eliminate a trip for one school or the other.

 

[Deleted member 21909]

You do know there is a different solution to the scheduling issue don't you? And it's a solution that doesn't require sitting around waiting for the UIL to do something they aren't going to do.

If scheduling non-district games is such a hassle and having more district games is desirable, then have more district games. Play your district playing every team in your district twice. In a four team district, that would give you 6 district games.

Their is no UIL rule governing how a district conducts district play. It is left to the DEC of the district.

But I believe only one of those games would count as "the district game?" If so, the non-district game would be more about not giving anything away or avoiding injury. If not, football isn't really able to handle 3 or 4 way ties very well.

 

[LBK6manFan]

I like the division split. Yes the playoffs are watered down. But it is very disheartening for a school with 10 or 12 kids on the team to complete against 30. There are some exceptions to the rule for sure but I would say for the most part, DII teams dont have the capability to play with DI teams. I played a whole heap of homecoming games in high school because the schools with 30 kids would destroy us with 12. Is it life? Sure. Did I survive? Sure. Would kids survive today? Sure. Would travel still be involved? Of course. We traveled 3 hrs I dont know how many times to play a non district opponent. If the the split is such a big deal, then I guess all the DI teams with 30 kids should have to play 2A crowded field ball and we will see how well they compete.

Fort Elliot '02 says hi, Follett '03 says hi. Fort elliot had 10 kids, used 8. Follett had 13-14 beats Valley who had 30 players on the field. 2013 Grandfalls says hi again, smallest enrollment in the state. You have to admit the numbers do and dont matter. It's the Jimmy's and Joe's your team has that can play. Thanks for your opinion even though I disagree with it.

 

[swires]

For sure, there are exceptions. I know you listed 3 off the top of your head but it doesnt happen that often. Joes and Johns are huge for sure.

 

[Deleted member 21909]

I like the division split. Yes the playoffs are watered down. But it is very disheartening for a school with 10 or 12 kids on the team to complete against 30. There are some exceptions to the rule for sure but I would say for the most part, DII teams dont have the capability to play with DI teams. I played a whole heap of homecoming games in high school because the schools with 30 kids would destroy us with 12. Is it life? Sure. Did I survive? Sure. Would kids survive today? Sure. Would travel still be involved? Of course. We traveled 3 hrs I dont know how many times to play a non district opponent. If the the split is such a big deal, then I guess all the DI teams with 30 kids should have to play 2A crowded field ball and we will see how well they compete.

In theory, I don't disagree with most of what you said minus one exception I will address at the end of my point. In my experience, however, the teams with 30 kids might have 45 in the high school while the team with 10 or 12 has 80 kids in high school. I know it sounds illogical, but Richland has been in D2 for about 10 years and always has TONS of kids.

I disagree about even suggesting someone should play 11-man. For one thing, sixman is a better game. Additionally, I feel sorry for the bubble schools that have to worry about going back and forth between 6 and 11 because converting the field is expensive, you have to get a new coach in most cases, learning both games is hard on the kids, and the community may have a strong preference for one over the other. Basically, I'm saying that there needs to be a higher level of scrutiny when switching between 6 and 11 man rather than 2A to 3A or whatever.

If the UIL wants to keep two divisions, I think the might be a solid solution:

-DII is the traditional sixman teams, current DI and DII, all in one division. The cut off is 105 I believe, I but will add a twist to this later.

-DI is "purgatory" and involves any school with an enrollment over 105 in the last 3 alignments. If you have 3 straight enrollments of over 105, you play 2A 11-man. If you have 3 straight enrollments of under 105, you play DII or "real" sixman.

 

[LBK6manFan]

Interesting take Tebow, I like it. One division and use the other as purgatory. I just believe there are enough teams now to make all 8 team districts and take 3 from each district to the playoffs. There were enough teams when I played to have 8 team districts with an exception of a few. I was fortunate enough to play wheeler when they were in sixman for their short stay. They beat us but we were not intimidated at all. They had around 30-40 kids playing compared to our 13.