High School Split Playoffs..No More

[CajunRed]

Meanwhile....

Source indicates a new athletic association for Louisiana High School athletics will be unveiled tonight at press conference

— Tim Fletcher (@FletcherShow) March 16, 2016

New association would welcome 60 schools--public or private

— Tim Fletcher (@FletcherShow) March 16, 2016

GLAD that they called LHSAA's bluff.

[CajunRebel]

I used to want everyone in the same league. Not any more. Let the publics reap what they have sown. I look forward to the day when LHSAA can no longer use private school fan bases as their personal cash cow.

I also look forward to the day when the publics in Acadiana learn what recruiting really is, once STM, Teurlings, CHSNI, Notre Dame, OCHS, VC and others are no longer fettered by LHSAA regulations.

I am tired of the private schools being the whipping boy.

First of all, the public schools aren't going to lose out on all kinds of money. They might lose a few thousand dollars in lost ticket sales, but that's it. It's not a big deal. LHSAA schools won't sweat that.

Second, it sounds like you're saying you want the privates to join a new league so they can freely recruit kids. If so, I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I hope the new organization finds a way to strengthen the LHSAA's recruiting rules and spend more money investigating problem schools.

[CharlieK]

No, not awesome.

I want everyone in the same league.

This is the only route back to there.

[VObserver]

No, the new organization will have recruiting rules to protect its members. It will not care if Notre Dame takes players from Crowley High, or Rayne High or Church Point High. It will make sure they don't take players from STM or VC or Tuerlings or St. Edmonds.

[CajunRebel]

This is the only route back to there.

To be clear, I don't blame these schools AT ALL for breaking away. But I'm far from convinced that this will lead to unification. Once the private schools leave, the pro-split people will get exactly what they wanted all along - a public-only association. And at that point what's their incentive to try and reunify?

I'm also really curious to know why the new organization is limiting membership to 60 teams. A rule like that doesn't signal a will to unify.

[MelRock]

I'm also really curious to know why the new organization is limiting membership to 60 teams. A rule like that doesn't signal a will to unify.

It is not limiting its self to 60 members, they are not going to form unless they can get to 60 members.

[wcd35]

I agree with Boyer's (TCHS) statements today, they can't try to make this happen for 2016-17. It's too fast. They need to work towards 17-18 as a goal and sell it to as many as possible over the course of the year and a half. Get a solid structure in place. Although, I am definitely not in favor of having all state championships in BR

[CharlieK]

To be clear, I don't blame these schools AT ALL for breaking away. But I'm far from convinced that this will lead to unification. Once the private schools leave, the pro-split people will get exactly what they wanted all along - a public-only association. And at that point what's their incentive to try and reunify?

I'm also really curious to know why the new organization is limiting membership to 60 teams. A rule like that doesn't signal a will to unify.

The pro split faction made a statement with the last meeting by failing to compromise and upping the ante by splitting more sports. They have made it clear in no uncertain terms we they are not going to reunify. The only path back to that is to start another association, then over time make that one more attractive to continually draw schools away from the lhsaa until it is no longer viable. The last meeting the pro split group went nuclear. Only thing left is to rebuild the thing.

[Bankruptcyman]

It might end up being a north / south split in associations. LHSAA appears to favor the north Louisiana schools.

[VObserver]

First of all, the public schools aren't going to lose out on all kinds of money. They might lose a few thousand dollars in lost ticket sales, but that's it. It's not a big deal. LHSAA schools won't sweat that.

Second, it sounds like you're saying you want the privates to join a new league so they can freely recruit kids. If so, I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I hope the new organization finds a way to strengthen the LHSAA's recruiting rules and spend more money investigating problem schools.

I did not say the public schools would lose money; I said LHSAA would lose money. Their revenue is largely from playoff games. It is absolutely incontrovertible that privates draw better than publics as a group. In many years of attending VC playoff games, I can only remember 1 road game against a public school in football that the home team had more fans than VC traveled with.

VC is not exceptional among privates in this regard.