The Georgia High School Association has a problem that isn’t easily fixed. The catch is, though, a deadline is looming and member schools want answers.
The state’s athletic ruling body is facing perhaps its most difficult reclassification period, which will start with the 2012-13 school year. Highlighting a myriad of issues is to find a solution to lengthy travel for region games.
Some teams, mostly in the southern part of the state and in Class A, have to spend four to five hours on a bus in the middle of a school week.
It is why the radical “4/8” plan was recently approved by the GHSA’s reclassification committee. The plan would shrink the current five classes to a four-class system for the regular season, in theory putting schools in regions with more schools closer geographically.
The four classes would split for playoffs, producing eight state champions in each sport. This would, again in theory, allow teams to compete for championships against schools closer in size. Currently in Class AAAAA, there is a 1,500-student difference between the biggest and smallest school.