On Wednesday, things moved a step closer to a seventh class of South Dakota high school football for the playoffs.
The High School Activities Association Board of Directors voted 6-2 in favor of adding an 11AAA class, for the state's largest schools.
They believe to this will even the playing field, due to the huge enrollement diparities in the current 16 schools in 11AA.
Basically, 11AA will be split up. 11AAA will consist of Washington, Roosevelt, Rapid City Central, Lincoln, Rapid City Stevens, Aberdeen Central, Watertown, and Brandon Valley.
The next nine largest would be in 11AA. That would include Yankton, Pierre, Mitchell, Brookings, O'Gorman, Huron, Sturgis, RC Douglas, and Spearfish. O'Gorman will petition up to play in 11AAA.
That would allow the smallest 11AAA school, Brandon Valley, the option to go down to 11AA. If the Lynx don't want to, then Watertown could. If the Arrows don't, then Aberdeen Central would have the option. Those are the only three schools that would have that option to move down due to enrollment.
Class 11A and 11B will pretty much stay the same, and there will still be three classes of 9-man football.
Wednesday's vote isn't final, this is the first reading.
The second reading and final vote on it is on February 29th.
If adopted, the seven-class playoff system would go in effect in the fall of 2013.
