Rural Florida Invitational Tournament

[PinellasFB]

I just noticed this RFIT going on in the FHSAA brackets.  What the hell is this and why don't they just expand the rural 
FHSAA tournament if they had that many teams to form a RFIT?

[DarterBlue2]

Don't ask, it's actually pretty amazing, but in a bad way.

[nolebull813]

Supposedly this is some bracket for teams who have zero percent chance to win the rural class. But they aren’t crowned “state champion” they don’t get a trophy and won’t be considered champion by anyone. It’s one of the most embarrassing things I have ever processed in my brain.

When my kids ran track in middle school they would actually have some races for kids who “didn’t make the official team” and let them run but it didn’t count and they didn’t keep time. They allowed them to run around the track to allow them to feel included in sports. It was embarrassing because these were not special needs kids. Which would have made sense. These were just kids who weren’t good enough to make the team. 

[Dr. D]

This is a 2-year pilot program approved by the FHSAA Board of Directors in June.  The top 16 Rural teams in the FHSAA MaxPreps rankings were seeded into the "Championship" bracket, and the remaining teams were seeded into the "Invitational" bracket.  Josh's story below gives additional details.  The scariest line in the article is, "New playoff format could test for future changes in football and other team sports as well".  So get ready for an "Invitational" bracket in the other classifications as well.  The FHSAA won't be happy until all 460 FHSAA teams are participating in the playoffs...

https://floridahsfootball.com/2024/08/01/2024-storylines-to-follow-rural-classification-taking-on-new-playoff-format-in-test/

[KeemD321]

3 hours ago, Dr. D said:

This is a 2-year pilot program approved by the FHSAA Board of Directors in June.  The top 16 Rural teams in the FHSAA MaxPreps rankings were seeded into the "Championship" bracket, and the remaining teams were seeded into the "Invitational" bracket.  Josh's story below gives additional details.  The scariest line in the article is, "New playoff format could test for future changes in football and other team sports as well".  So get ready for an "Invitational" bracket in the other classifications as well.  The FHSAA won't be happy until all 460 FHSAA teams are participating in the playoffs...

https://floridahsfootball.com/2024/08/01/2024-storylines-to-follow-rural-classification-taking-on-new-playoff-format-in-test/

It's there way of testing out the open bracket format. So if it does well that's what the remainder of the state will do. There will be an open bracket and then the regular classification brackets. True state champ will be the open champ. 

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

$

[nolebull813]

7 minutes ago, THAT S--T WAS FUNNY said:

$

Yeah. It basically an exhibition postseason tournament. In Tennessee teams get 3 scrimmages before the season starts. It’s kinda like that but after the season. Lol. The winter sports like wrestling and basketball will suffer without the football kids who move on because they are playing in meaningless games. 

[imjustafan2]

I remember "Way Back", in the late '70s early '80s 1A-4A days. They had the Rotary Bowl in the Central FL area. It was a post season game for two chosen teams that had good records, but didn't make it past the winning their district. Cocoa played Jones one year.  Kind of a consolation game.

 

[DarterBlue2]

54 minutes ago, imjustafan2 said:

I remember "Way Back", in the late '70s early '80s 1A-4A days. They had the Rotary Bowl in the Central FL area. It was a post season game for two chosen teams that had good records, but didn't make it past the winning their district. Cocoa played Jones one year.  Kind of a consolation game.

 

Those kinds of post season events made sense. A final game for the seniors on a deserving team. Those days are long gone. 

[nolebull813]

Man Central Florida used to kill it with the bowls! 
 

Metro Bowl, Kumquat Bowl, Rotary Bowl, Sentinel Star Bowl, Beach Bowl, Astro Bowl, Shrine Bowl, Elks Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Azalea Bowl just to name a few 

[PinellasFB]

Interesting.  I guess I missed the FHSAA announcement about the RFIT pilot.  It seems, though, that playing a bowl game would have already have solved the issue of letting those teams voluntarily play in the post-season who missed the playoffs while letting those other teams that just want to get to the offseason after a disappointing season mercifully end their season?  

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

7 hours ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Those kinds of post season events made sense. A final game for the seniors on a deserving team. Those days are long gone. 

Yeah now a days if you dont make the playoffs you are probably not very good.

[nolebull813]

4 hours ago, THAT S--T WAS FUNNY said:

Yeah now a days if you dont make the playoffs you are probably not very good.

Tell that to Miami Central and First Academy