That makes perfect sense. Welcome to SC 5A, welcome to the tyranny of the majority.FootballFan4343 wrote:.... So those 30 or so schools that know, realistically, they won't compete for state championships, instead aim for winning records.
They just tossed fairness and competitiveness under the bus. No surprise, that bus was beeping when they put the 1600 ADM schools in the top classification.Those 32 smaller and/or less competitive teams can now schedule 5 or 6 local and smaller schools. Their (meaningless) overall record improves, gate & concessions revenue increases, travel costs are reduced, and 4/5 of them make the playoffs. All of this makes the boosters and homers happy which makes the coach's and AD's jobs easier and safer.FootballFan4343 wrote: From my understanding the Region 2 teams, along with Northwestern, Fort Dorchester, Stratford, Summerville, Dutch Fork were the only real ones against the current plan. So basically the teams that feel they have shots at state championships.
The pods have an additional effect, it guarantees that the first round opponent will be from an adjacent region. That results in less travel time and cost, improved gate & concessions revenues. (Beep, beep, beep..... cha-ching!!!!)FootballFan4343 wrote:... what about non-region games. With the preset playoff "pods", why would Byrnes schedule a NW or Dutch Fork, knowing they will almost certainly meet in the playoffs due to cross bracketing not happening. Obviously for a gate, but we all know no one wants to play a good opponent twice in a season, ESPECIALLY if you won the first time around.
Consider this a minor "win" for the more competitive teams. There would have been 21 games in the 11th week, there will now be 16 games in the new week 1 of a 5 week playoff. The least competitive teams lose a home (and away) game every other year, but the top 16 teams get that extra home playoff game.FootballFan4343 wrote:I too am absolutely FLOORED that 4A schools are giving up the 11th game and potential revenue. Easily leaving 25-30k on the table. Even the WORST 4A teams clear 10-12k for a home football game. Keep in mind that NO OTHER sport actually makes money in this state, the other sports actually operate off the money football brings in. I am sure at some schools, basketball might make money, but as a whole, in South Carolina, football is the only that actually turns a profit.
I guess the smaller/less competitive schools think the other benefits of this system out-weights the loss of a home game every other year. They probably figured that a 10 game schedule was a foregone conclusion as soon as they announced the classification was going to be 42 schools.
