New Classification for football

[The Schwab]

Here's my idea for the football divisions:

Teams that draw the short straw in this are the ones with multiple co-ops. Could see co-ops dissolving to form more teams, which is a good thing.

AAA- Male Enrollment Larger than 425

East-
Fargo Davies
WF Sheyenne
West Fargo
GF Central
GF Red River
Fargo South
Fargo Shanley (Opt up)

West-
Minot
Williston
Bismarck
Bismarck Century
Bismarck Legacy
Mandan
Dickinson

AA- Male Enrollment Between 107- 424

East
Devils Lake
Valley City
Wahpeton
Horace
Central Cass
Kindred
Ellendale Edgeley Kulm
Lisbon
Park River Fordville Lankin Valley Edinburg
Grafton
Hillsboro Central Valley


West

Jamestown
Watford City
Bismarck St. Mary's
Turtle Mountain
Des Lacs Burlington
Velva-Garrison
South Prairie-Max
Carrington
Stanley
Beulah

A- Male Enrollment between 73-106

East
Oak Grove
Lisbon
Northern Cass
LintonHMBSZ
Oakes
Milnor NS SC
Thompson
Langdon
Harvey
Rugby
MPCG
Hatton Northwood
Fairmount Campbell Tintah
Four Winds

West
Bottineau
Ray
Bishop Ryan
Nedrose
Kenmare
Washburn
Bismarck Shiloh
Heart River
Killdeer
Hazen
Dickinson Trinity
Bowman
Dunseith
Surrey
Tioga

9-Man 72 and under

East
Wyndmere Lidgerwood
LaMoure
Hankinson
Richland
Enderlin
Griggs County Central Midkota
Maple River
Larimore
Cavalier
Midway/Minto
North Border
Nelson County
North Star
New Rockford
Leeds
Rolla/Rolette

West
New Salem
Central McClean
South Border
Kidder County
Napoleon
Hettinger/Scranton
Mott Regent New England
Grant County Flasher
Beach
Towner Granville Upham
St John
Westhope Newberg Glenburn
Mohall Lansford Sherwood
Lewis and Clark
Divide County
Alexander
Parshall

[Sportsrube]

My initial reaction is that I like it. I also agree that it could lead to the dissolution of a co-op or two in order to stay in a lower division which could be a good thing.

[WalkingStick]

PR-FL/V-E would likely drop V-E and that should get them out of your 2nd class...

The only schools, in my eyes, I could ever see being allowed to opt down would be the reservation schools because enrollment is high BUT participation is always low. If we are looking for more teams then this would be a positive otherwise those schools go into an independent league and they are forgotten. Four Winds has the enrollment for 11-man but they belong in 9-man (same with Dunseith); New Town & Standing Rock should be 11B.

These are the ONLY schools I could ever see being allowed to OPT DOWN!

[ndlionsfan]

The only bad thing I see is that FW and Dunseith could not compete in 11man and those programs would move to independent. With Newtown already independent and Standing Rock competing out of state, you would basically be creating a system that would have a negative impact on all the reservation schools and it would never pass.

[The Schwab]

Let them opt down and play 6-man. Doesn't matter to me. However, no one seems to worry when FWM destroys teams in basketball year after year.

[WalkingStick]

Let them opt down and play 6-man. Doesn't matter to me. However, no one seems to worry when FWM destroys teams in basketball year after year.

Different sport...we are strictly talking football here; basketball classification and success doesn't matter here.

Dunseith, Four Winds = 9-man school; New Town & Standing Rock = 11B schools

That's where I stand; all others in your thoughts...look similar to my plan setup (just a little different enrollment numbers)

[The Schwab]

Let them opt down and play 6-man. Doesn't matter to me. However, no one seems to worry when FWM destroys teams in basketball year after year.

Different sport...we are strictly talking football here; basketball classification and success doesn't matter here.

Dunseith, Four Winds = 9-man school; New Town & Standing Rock = 11B schools

That's where I stand; all others in your thoughts...look similar to my plan setup (just a little different enrollment numbers)

I truly understand that they will struggle. I don't like opening the door up for opt-downs but if we are going to do it I think it needs to show someone is historically bad. Something such as win percentage under .250 over a 10 year period or something like that.

[WalkingStick]

Let them opt down and play 6-man. Doesn't matter to me. However, no one seems to worry when FWM destroys teams in basketball year after year.

Different sport...we are strictly talking football here; basketball classification and success doesn't matter here.

Dunseith, Four Winds = 9-man school; New Town & Standing Rock = 11B schools

That's where I stand; all others in your thoughts...look similar to my plan setup (just a little different enrollment numbers)

I truly understand that they will struggle. I don't like opening the door up for opt-downs but if we are going to do it I think it needs to show someone is historically bad. Something such as win percentage under .250 over a 10 year period or something like that.

Turtle Mountain is .211 in AA & .111 in AAA since 2000...but they are an A school so they are stuck in 11A

New Town has been poor for many years in 11-Man & 9-man...I think they seem to fall into your category of historically bad
http://northdakotahsfootball.altervista ... ewtown.htm

[The Schwab]

Maybe work something into the plan where if your Free/Reduced number is over 60 percent you can opt down if you haven't made the playoffs in 5 years or something like that.

[ndlionsfan]

Maybe work something into the plan where if your Free/Reduced number is over 60 percent you can opt down if you haven't made the playoffs in 5 years or something like that.

That would make more sense to me. I think that's a good idea.

There would also need to be something to reverse that opt-down. If a team that opts down makes the playoffs so often, they need to play back up in the division their enrollment dictates.

[maddog1971]

Lisbon must have alot of kids... you have them playing in AA and A. So two teams?

How about a team like poor Stanley.... They had a great program in place with a great coach.... they were one of the top teams in the state under Enget.... now.... 2021 1-7 2020- 0-7 2019 0-9 2018 3-5
2017 4-5 2016 2-7 2015 2-7 2014 0-9 2013 1-8

Where is the fairness in that? Just because they have the numbers it is ok for them to get the crap kicked out of them every year? and if they would have played in the Eastern part of the state I bet the record would be way worse.

I don't have the answers..... I just tell the kids to lace them up and have fun.

But I sure know that 107 -424 is just stupid... No Way is that in even close. I am not a math expert but..... How you consider that better than the system they have now???? I will never understand.

I like the system we have in place right now... I think it has made for some really good football... except for last week Semi's.... Bowman have to drive all the way to play Kindred was unfair and they should have had the teams meet in Bismarck to play.... Same thing with HCV..... It is the semi's I think the Kindred and HCV still win but not with the blowouts.

[Bisonguy06]

Not bad, but AA is too big.

The odd #s make it quite transparent that there are schools targeted to land in certain places, such as Beulah in AA. As others have pointed out, your AA has quite a long list of schools, including Beulah and Hillsboro, who could drop co-ops to land in A.

Football classification needs consistent ratios throughout, such as "enrollment top to bottom in a division will never exceed 3:1" I have a plan that does this. It's in the general football thread. My AA is 3:1. The other divisions are closer to 2:1.

We can't hand pick the schools that get to opt down. We need consistent criteria, or simply don't give the option.

North Dakota's "middle" is small, if that makes sense. What we've known as AA football should be the division with the fewest # of schools. I would go 150 to 450, Central Cass to Jamestown, with Kindred likely to grow into that grouping.

[The Schwab]

Not bad, but AA is too big.

The odd #s make it quite transparent that there are schools targeted to land in certain places, such as Beulah in AA. As others have pointed out, your AA has quite a long list of schools, including Beulah and Hillsboro, who could drop co-ops to land in A.

Football classification needs consistent ratios throughout, such as "enrollment top to bottom in a division will never exceed 3:1" I have a plan that does this. It's in the general football thread. My AA is 3:1. The other divisions are closer to 2:1.

We can't hand pick the schools that get to opt down. We need consistent criteria, or simply don't give the option.

North Dakota's "middle" is small, if that makes sense. What we've known as AA football should be the division with the fewest # of schools. I would go 150 to 450, Central Cass to Jamestown, with Kindred likely to grow into that grouping.

That's absolutely fine. I'm totally good with making the ratios 3:1. I am also good with having zero opt down options. If a school doesn't want to play in the division their enrollment puts them in, then they can decide to be independent or play 6 man football. There are options.

[maddog1971]

Here is the plan I would like to see for next year. I think it would be very competitive like it was this year.


Bishop Ryan Beulah
Des Lacs-Burlington Bowman County
Kenmare/B/BC Dickinson Trinity
Nedrose Hazen
Ray/Powers Lake Heart River
South Prairie/Max Killdeer
Stanley Shiloh Christian
Velva/Garrison Southern McLean

Central Cass Bottineau
Ellendale/E//K/M Carrington
Kindred Grafton
Linton/HMB Harvey/WC
Lisbon Hillsboro/CV
Northern Cass Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich
Oak Grove Park River Area
Oakes Rugby
Sargent County Thompson

[WalkingStick]

so essentially what they have proposed for next year...cool; I enjoy the debates of who goes where and other people's thoughts...as long as everything can stay civil amongst us.