Select/Non-Select Definition, Playoff Format Discussions Set To Take Center Stage at LHSAA Summer Meeting
by Hunter Bower // GeauxPreps.com Owner
The LHSAA executive committee is set to convene for its summer meeting on Wednesday and Thursday with discussions as to how a Select/Non-Select school shall be defined is expected to highlight the two-day event while conversations regarding changes to postseason brackets across multiple sports are also scheduled to occur.
GeauxPreps.com will be in attendance for both meetings and will provide updates via its social media platforms (@GeauxPrepsLA) followed by a full report at the end of each session.
According to the meeting agenda, Wednesday afternoon’s session begins at 1 p.m. at the LHSAA office and will provide expected reports to end the school year while several items will be presented for approval prior to the committee entering into executive session to end the first day.
The two key items up for discussion will take place during Thursday morning’s session slated to begin at 9 a.m. During the spring meeting, the executive committee reviewed three definitions presented by LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine and asked for additional details regarding where member schools could potentially be placed.
The following definitions will be up for discussion:
Option 1: Public or private schools that have established academic criterion that determines admission or retention.
Option 2: Lab schools, magnet schools, schools with magnet components, charter schools, parishes that allow open enrollment at all its public schools and tuition-based schools in the definition.
Option 3: Private or public schools that do not receive money from the Louisiana Minimum Foundation Program or receive an academic letter grade from the Louisiana Department of Education.
In correlation with Thursday’s discussion on Select and Non-Select definition, Bonine is scheduled to talk about and present ideas for a potential change to postseason brackets for the sports of football, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball.
For example, the sport of football recognizes the top-32 Non-Select, or public school, teams based on power ratings in Class 5A through Class 2A. In Class 1A, the top 24 squads are placed into the postseason bracket.
Under the current format, a total of 35 Non-Select teams with losing records advanced to the 2021 football playoffs. Of the 24 squads that qualified for the Class 1A football bracket, only 11 finished the regular season with a record of .500 of better.
During the spring meeting, Bonine pointed out the disparity in the current playoff format for basketball and football which ultimately led to the committee approving requests to implement a mercy rule.
Additional staff reports and additional business will be presented at Thursday’s meeting in addition to the action items on the agenda.
PUBLIC-Executive-Committee-Meeting-Agenda-6-1.2-2022-1