Exclusive Q&A: FHSAA executive director Craig Damon on the Open Division proposal
TALLAHASSEE — High school football in Florida could be on the precipice of another major overhaul.
Just two years after the switch to Metro and Suburban/Rural classes, the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Board of Directors will vote Tuesday on an Open Division proposal.
At the heart of the proposal is the creation of an eight-team Open Division that would take the top eight teams on the MaxPreps final regular season rankings and place them in their own playoff bracket. (The open division format would apply to all team sports, not just football.)
Other key issues for football include ending the Metro-Suburban split and having eight classes – seven determined by enrollment and a rural class, no longer requiring teams to play district games during the regular season and holding a four-team district tournament during the final two weeks of the regular season.
The board is scheduled to vote on the plan in a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
FHSAA's Open Division proposal leaves many key questions for Florida high school football
In an exclusive Q&A with the USA Today Florida Network, FHSAA executive director Craig Damon gave his thoughts on an Open Division, using MaxPreps’ rankings instead of the FHSAA power rankings as well as issues such as Name Image and Likeness (NIL), coach pay and policing high school transfers.
Q. You've been banging the drum on an open division for a while. Why is this something you're so passionate about?
A. Florida high school football is the best in the country. The open division concept came from a model Arizona started a few years ago in which the association has experienced great success. There has been a desire to provide a classification structure which would allow the top teams, regardless of classification, to compete in the same bracket for a championship.
Q. The latest proposal cut the total number of teams from 32 to eight. What was the primary reason for that?
A. Thirty-two teams is too many. After speaking with a multitude of stakeholders across the state, a common response was 32 teams was too many for the open division.
Q. The proposal also abandons the Metro-Suburban format the state has had the past few years. While it has been controversial in some areas, it also produced new state champions, first time Final Four teams and some really exciting playoff games. Is there any concern about getting rid of it?
A. The Metro-Suburban change created conversations about implementing something different than what had been in place for some time. The games have been exciting. However, some of the same teams played for or won a championship similar to the old structure in football.
How USA Today Florida Network reporters view Metro-Suburban classes after its first year
With any change, there are concerns about unintended consequences. Are we making things better for all schools? Will the proposal place our schools in bad situations? What’s benefits the most schools in the sport?
Q. Can you address the concern some coaches have about having a hard time scheduling opponents without having district games?
A. This is a concern we looked at extensively. For most of our teams depending on the size of the district, they had to schedule anywhere from five to eight non-district games to fill a 10-game schedule for quite some time. The Rural classification the past two years have searched for 10 games since that classification didn’t have districts. Member schools may continue to use the classified ads to solicit games on our website.
Q. What about the schools that don’t make the district tournament. Will there be anything in place to ensure those student athletes get to play a full schedule?
A. I trust our member schools and coaches are committed to making the best decisions for their students and filling out their schedules to give our students the opportunities they deserve. Currently, the FHSAA minimum contests regulation is for teams to be eligible to participate in the state series.
Q. Will the FHSAA still have their own rankings or will it just use MaxPreps’ rankings? Will that be the case for all sports?
A. The proposal being presented to the Board of Directors is to use the MaxPreps rankings for all traditional team sports.
Q. Do you think having an open division in all team sports will make it more enticing for future TV deals?
A. I would think that is a possibility. Several of our schools’ games are televised currently when they are matched up against top ranked teams.
Q. Have you given any thought to the weeks the open division playoff games would be played and is there a concern it will overshadow other state championships?
A. There has been discussion with coaches, ADs and staff on this topic. If the proposal passes, this would be an item to bring forth to the Sport Advisory Committees to seek input before reaching a decision. Staff would also have to ensure the host venue could accommodate the additional game(s).
Q. The football championships were held in Tallahassee again, which is a really long drive for a lot of teams and their fans. Has there been any conversation about having it at a more central site?
A. Finding the best site starts with looking at locations which are as centrally located as possible. Next, there must be a desire from the area/city/visitor’s bureau to host the event. The availability and surface of the venue must be considered. With nine championship games in football, it would be extremely challenging to play on a natural grass surface among other financial costs that arise from putting on such a large-scale event.
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Q. Georgia approved NIL in the fall. Have there been talks about the FHSAA approving NIL and what are your personal feelings on it?
A. To my knowledge, approximately 27 state associations have amended their regulations to permit NIL for student-athletes to some degree. A major difference almost all the other 50 state associations that are members of the NFHS have over Florida is they have strict transfer regulations in place. These regulations are designed to help mitigate recruiting. Without transfer regulations, our association would have difficulty governing it in manner to protect our student-athletes.
Q. How concerned are you about the number of coaches leaving the state to make more money in other states? Is there anything the FHSAA can do, even from the standpoint of lobbying or advocating for higher pay?
A. It is very concerning. This a conversation I have any chance I get with those who are in position to lead change.
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Q. How difficult has it gotten to police the rampant player movement and recruiting? Is there anything that can be done to slow it down?
A. Recruiting is an issue across the nation. Balancing player movement and recruiting has indeed become more challenging in recent times. Striking a balance between individual choices and maintaining the integrity of the sport is key for a sustainable and equitable playing field. It takes help from our member schools, and also a continued effort by the association to educate coaches of what is permissible under FHSAA Bylaws and Policies.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Open Division for Florida high school football? Executive director Q&A
