PIAA 6 Classifications: The End of WPIAL?

The battle lines are being drawn, and I’m not taking a side, just pointing out that if it happens the need for a super district such as the WPIAL is extremely less viable.

Let’s understand that the push for six classifications is almost solely coming from the eastern side of the state. Let’s also understand that this will start with football, but quickly move to basketball and down the line. Here are the quick points, and then I’ll go into the details.

- It will benefit quad “A” schools the most (the majority of which are from Eastern PA)
- It’s designed to make the PIAA more money.
- It will increase travel and costs for local schools.
- It will make a WPIAL title extremely less valuable.

The executive director of WPIAL Tim O’Mally is taking the populist angle and talking about how this will move the championship games away from Heinz Field. I believe the WPIAL board however sees the writing on the wall, understands the possible ramifications. They’re just choosing the Heinz Field angle as an easy way to fight this in media and through public perception. I’ll try, to articulate more of the details.

1. The WPIAL Championships will become watered down with 6 title games. Right now even with four classifications, a WPIAL title is pretty impressive. It wasn’t long ago that there were only two classes and most people can remember one division. We could easily have only a dozen schools compete for a WPIAL title. It’s would nothing more then a glorified section title. Let’s also keep in mind there will likely be less local high schools down the line not more. You’ll also have a lot of point less regular season games. The WPIAL trophy is prestigious because it’s hard to win, Kittanning for example has won one in team sport in 40 years.

2. This will only give the PIAA more money. More playoff games, equals more money for the PIAA. Money Power, Power Money.

3. Here’s something that I know, that most people probably don’t. Attendance is down at local high school football games. If they start expanding travel, it will lower attendance more. If you make the regular season games less important, you’ll also lower the attendance. The WPIAL would go to two or three sections and a lot of the local rivalries would be gone. Athletic programs need the football the football gate, this will hurt so schools big time.

4. At this point, it will start to make sense for schools in the outlying areas to leave the WPIAL. With out the lure of a WPIAL title and longer travel, some schools would be better off joining another district, or trying to lure other schools in creating new districts. The dominoes would start falling and the need for a super district like the WPIAL would be minimal. Again using Kittanning as an example they could easily pull Ford City & West Shamokin to join a district of southern Clarion, and north Indiana counties.

5. I will point out, that more schools would now have a chance to win district titles. That why I think some outspoken coaches will back this. You have to weight those costs against the other expenses. If you like those better odds, why are you even in the WPIAL in the first place?

6. Clearly the true benefit is to the large Philly suburban schools, who think it’s unfair for a school with 600 boys playing a school with 1000 boys. However after you reach 500 boys, does it really matter. Hardly anyone is mentioning the effect it could have on rural districts.

At one point the in time WPIAL title was more important then a state title, but perceptions have changed and this has given the PIAA more power. There always been a power struggle between the WPIAL and PIAA and I think the PIAA isn’t very concerned about the WPIAL. The prestigious football schools, and coaches who no doubt like the glamor of the state championship, probably will favor the better chances of winning.

Clearly there are people at the PIAA set on making this six classification thing happen, and when it does it will ripple through the other sports. The WPIAL might be working on trying to partner with the districts to the north and west, as rural school will be heavily effected by this.  The schools are going to have to do what’s in their best interests. I hope most schools look at providing quality athletics rather than what title they might have a chance at winning. There aren’t many options for the WPIAL.

Go with it / Secede

Either way there could be defectors, and could very well signal the beginning of the end for the WPIAL.

What are you thoughts?