NCS football playoff format changes long overdue

Some things are such a no-brainer that it kills you. In fact, when it comes
to fruition, you see it as blasphemous that it took so long.

The CIF North Coast Section recently revamped its football playoff model
for the 2019 season and perhaps beyond that point. Throughout the years,
yours truly has had plenty of hot takes that could rival ESPN’s Stephen A.
Smith, whom I like to call Screamin’ A. Smith.

Before I get into hot takes that set off fire alarms, first let’s look at the
housekeeping details. There will be no more open division. The section’s
Board of Managers voted 25-16-1 in favor of seven eight team divisions,
going from 1 through 7. The 8-man football version will also have an eight
team bracket. The divisions will have anywhere from 13 teams on the low
end to 18 on the high end.

While the playoff format has not been finalized, NCS commissioner Gil
Lemmon indicated in a recent report in the Napa Valley Register that in
all likelihood, the proposal will stand.

As it pertains to high schools in the Napa Valley, Vintage and Napa will
be members of Div. II. American Canyon will be in Div. III. Justin-Siena
will now be in Div. VI while St. Helena will be in Div. VIII, which is new
to 2019. Calistoga remains in the 8-man division.

Lemmon added that the division alignment will be based on enrollment.
The divisions will have three rounds with the champion of each division
advancing to the Northern California Regional Championships, which
are slated for Dec. 6-7.

The 2019 season begins on Aug. 23.

So are these changes a good thing? Well, let’s do some math. Excluding
the 8-man division, there are 108 NCS schools that field football, 69 made
the postseason last year. In the new format, there will be 56. I could make
a point and say that over half the teams in the NCS reaching the postseason
is too much but the current reduction is a start. The previous format featured
six divisions with a 16-team bracket.

I have been on my soapbox about this on numerous occasions but hopefully
the new format will prevent the flood of teams with pathetically losing
records going to the playoffs. In 2017, there were 73 teams in the playoffs
with 31 having a losing record. Good Lord, if that does not reek of a
participation trophy I don’t know what does.

So why are those teams making the postseason might you ask? Fair question.
In the NCS, if you are a .500 team against opponents within your division or
league, that gets you into the postseason. If a team wins its league and has a
losing overall record, I'm open to making an exception for them because it's
not their fault that the league is terrible.

During a casual conversation I once had with a Lake County coach during
my tenure on the Upvalley beat, we had the same discussion of why the
playoffs are watered down worse than a flat beer. This coach replied, “I’ll
give you one word — money.”

I’m all for capitalism. It’s the American way but not at the expense of
compromising the integrity of achievement.

I thought a team reaching the playoffs was meant to be a reward for having
a successful season. I guess that got lost in translation at some point in my
life.

And please don’t come at me with the strength of schedule argument either.
If you want to puff out your chest because of your schedule strength, fine.
Beat those teams.

That is where the power ratings enter the equation, where strength of
schedule, league strength and margin of victory are a factor. and/or
at-large system is better because every game is factored.

The good thing about power ratings is that it eliminates emotion when
ranking teams and the computer can calculate numbers in 10 minutes that
might take the human mind weeks to do. Plus, strength of schedule should
be a factor and so should margin of victory. Well, not beyond 35 points.
I’m of the mind that a 56-14 win is no more impressive than say, a 55-20
win. If you saw the game, you know who the better team is.

The downside is that so many teams make the playoffs that the field looks
more watered down.

The NCS at large system used to involve coaches attending a meeting to
state their case, which means you, in effect, bargain your way into the
playoffs.

Just don’t reward teams for having losing seasons.

Off my soapbox for now but another salient reason for the format change
is that with the State playoffs pushing the end of the season closer to
Christmas, trimming the section playoffs made almost too much sense.
Secondly, since Northern California has been hit with wildfires that
caused devastation ranging from death, hospitalization and poor air
quality, high school football games were lost as result. Granted, kids
not being able to play a football game versus losing homes and lives
pale in comparison, you get the point.

Who knows if the format will stick but glad to see the powers that be
come to their senses.