LHSAA Executive Committee Ratifies Split Playoff System
The LHSAA Executive Committee voted to ratify the football split playoff system that has been in place for three years this week, thus making it constitutional.
A storm whipped up on social media and in the high school football world in Louisiana when Eddie Bonine dissolved the split playoff system this month due to unconstitutionality. The proper protocol wasn't followed with the Executive Committee, so three years later they decided to go about putting the split in place properly.
After a lot of finger pointing, the Executive Committee put the topic to a vote and ratified the split, two to one. That's it. For now, the split playoffs are here to stay.
Five brackets for non-select and four for select. The debate isn't over. This topic is going to be brought back up again next year, if the schools and principals don't raise too much hell over the ruling. The most contentious point has been put to bed though: the unconstitutionality of the playoff split is no longer an issue with the Executive Committee's blessing.
Many parties cited a growing trust issue and an urgency to resolve the conflict sooner rather than later. It looks like the LHSAA is going to hold off for another year on trying to fix the split, instead of trying to take direct action to fix the discrepancies between all parties involved right now.
Will another year of nine playoff brackets exacerbate the distrust issues between schools and administrators? It would take a ton for both parties to see eye to eye, but a lot can change in a year.
This is only one of the hot topics the LHSAA will address this week. Raises for officials, along with more split talk, are on the slate as well. Grab your popcorn. Twitter should be fun.