Although the proposals have a long way to go, the football playoffs in Massachusetts and New Jersey could change dramatically soon.
In Massachusetts, the state's football committee forwarded a plan that would result in champions in six divisions. According to the
Boston Herald, the regular season would be trimmed to seven weeks, which would be followed by a postseason where the top eight teams in each division would advance based on a rankings system.
If approved, the proposal would increase playoff opportunities for the state's teams, as well as revamp the playoff format as a whole. Under the current setup, advancing teams have to play three playoff games over nine days. Reclassification based on enrollment also is part of the plan.
The plan will get further consideration in early March, and if approved will be forwarded to the state's Tournament Management Committee in May for further review.
Also, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's football committee has proposed ending state championships for non-public schools. If the NJSIAA's executive committee approves the plan at its April meeting, non-public schools would compete only for sectional championships.
The state's football committee forwarded the proposal to bring the non-public football postseason in line with its public school counterpart.
Public schools compete only for sectional titles in New Jersey, and a plan to expand that to a state championship format was defeated by NJSIAA membership in December.