FBS for FL HS Football

[Hwy17]

I don't know how SSAA determines class or conducts it's playoffs, this is just a hypothetical ideal of mine. Actually something like thus was talked about in 2020 when covid messed up the season. 

Image if groups of like minded schools around the state formed conferences similar to the below mentioned Heartland conference.  If a conference gets 12 or more to join, split into divisions.  Do like FBS college football with conference championship games and bowls.  Play a 12 game regular season,  then a post season. Match up conference champion vs conference champion, runner up vs runner up, winning season vs winning season.  Just a thought. 

[nolebull813]

2 hours ago, Hwy17 said:

I don't know how SSAA determines class or conducts it's playoffs, this is just a hypothetical ideal of mine. Actually something like thus was talked about in 2020 when covid messed up the season. 

 

Image if groups of like minded schools around the state formed conferences similar to the below mentioned Heartland conference.  If a conference gets 12 or more to join, split into divisions.  Do like FBS college football with conference championship games and bowls.  Play a 12 game regular season,  then a post season. Match up conference champion vs conference champion, runner up vs runner up, winning season vs winning season.  Just a thought. 

I like the idea. With 500 plus teams it would be easy to come up with it. 

Right now the SSAA has an embarrassment of a playoff bracket. It’s so bad that I would like the adults who came up with the travesty to explain it to me with a straight face. 
 

In 2023 they had 10 brackets with one being 3 total teams. 
 

An 0-8 team got a bye and. 2-7 team beat a 1-8 team for the right to play the 0-8 team in the “championship” 

That is disgusting. I’m glad the SSAA is taking as many teams as possible who have no business competing for a real title, but they are making a mockery of the sport. 
 

I do like your idea though. 

[nolebull813]

Back in the day before playoffs mainly, there was nothing but conferences throughout the state. 
 

in 1952 and 1953 Hardee was part of the 11 team “South Florida Conference” it was…..

Hardee

Desoto 

Jesuit 

Manatee 

Tarpon Springs 

Winter Haven 

Clearwater 

Plant City 

Sarasota

Fort Myers 

Bartow 

[nolebull813]

1954-1969 Hardee was in the “Southwest Florida Conference” 

8 teams 

Plant City 

Bartow 

Desoto 

Hardee

Lake Wales 

Haines City 

Winter Haven 

Pasco 

Auburndale 

Kathleen 

There is more than 8 because teams came and gone over the years 

[nolebull813]

In the 70’s they left the SWC and joined the Coral Coast Conference

Point is they have been apart of a conference for decades. This Heartland Conference is nothing new, and is actually a throwback to all these decades ago. 

[PinellasFB]

Can someone explain to me the SSAA playoff format?  They have 11-man and 1A thru 5A brackets.  Are their classes related to school size or is it a promotion/relegation thing?  With so few teams in each bracket, why not just have one bracket and perhaps some that don't make the playoffs, especially the really bad teams who just want to get the season over?

[Hwy17]

1 hour ago, PinellasFB said:

Can someone explain to me the SSAA playoff format?  They have 11-man and 1A thru 5A brackets.  Are their classes related to school size or is it a promotion/relegation thing?  With so few teams in each bracket, why not just have one bracket and perhaps some that don't make the playoffs, especially the really bad teams who just want to get the season over?

I don't know how SSAA determines class, nor do I know what their bylaws are. I know it actually started as a group of small private schools that felt that they didn't fit in FHSAA after the split between 1A rural, 1A & 2A. There were a few associates at the time and they merged. Somewhere in there they started letting public schools choosing to go independent in. I have a lot of questions too. 

[Hwy17]

10 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

In the 70’s they left the SWC and joined the Coral Coast Conference

Point is they have been apart of a conference for decades. This Heartland Conference is nothing new, and is actually a throwback to all these decades ago. 

The Heartland Conference was around late 70s to mid 80s. We sometimes played in a district as well as the conference. I believe the membership was Hardee, Desoto,  Avon Park,  Sebring,  Lake Placid,  Okeechobee, Fort Meade and Mulberry. 

[Hwy17]

What I like about this new reformed Heartland Conference is its a group of peers with similar demographics, communities, traditions, and they typically play each other anyway.  Also the fact that they are taking matters into their own hands knowing FHSAA isn't going to make any real changes anytime soon.

In my opinion,  Mulberry,  Fort Meade,  Clewiston,  Okeechobee and Moore Haven would fit right in. That's assuming they'd be interested and the current membership would let them in.

Now we just need some others in other parts of the state to do the same.

[nolebull813]

11 hours ago, Hwy17 said:

What I like about this new reformed Heartland Conference is its a group of peers with similar demographics, communities, traditions, and they typically play each other anyway.  Also the fact that they are taking matters into their own hands knowing FHSAA isn't going to make any real changes anytime soon.

In my opinion,  Mulberry,  Fort Meade,  Clewiston,  Okeechobee and Moore Haven would fit right in. That's assuming they'd be interested and the current membership would let them in.

Now we just need some others in other parts of the state to do the same.

I like the idea. If you get 12-20 or so teams and play a championship, I think the winner would feel validated. 
 

Heck the rural class has 34 teams and they crown a champion. If the Heartland can get somewhere close to that it would seem like a legit championship 

[nolebull813]

I got 14 teams and their enrollment. The numbers could be a little off but not by much 

 

Moore Haven 311

Fort Meade 419

Frostproof 617

Lake Placid 807

Discovery 811

Avon Park 925

Clewiston 981

Desoto 1263

Hardee 1339

Lemon Bay 1350

Mulberry 1402

Labelle 1421

Lake Region 1553

Okeechobee 1745

[nolebull813]

North and South. 
 

 

(North Bracket)

Fort Meade

Frostproof 

Discovery 

Mulberry 

Lake Region 

Hardee 

Desoto 

 

(South Bracket)

Moore Haven 

Lake Placid 

Avon Park 

Clewiston

Lemon Bay 

Labelle 

Okeechobee 

 

 

You play the other 6 teams in your bracket, and 4 teams from the other bracket. The following year you play the other 3 plus one of the others you played in the first year and that would rotate every cycle. 
 

[Hwy17]

1 hour ago, nolebull813 said:

North and South. 
 

 

(North Bracket)

Fort Meade

Frostproof 

Discovery 

Mulberry 

Lake Region 

Hardee 

Desoto 

 

(South Bracket)

Moore Haven 

Lake Placid 

Avon Park 

Clewiston

Lemon Bay 

Labelle 

Okeechobee 

 

 

You play the other 6 teams in your bracket, and 4 teams from the other bracket. The following year you play the other 3 plus one of the others you played in the first year and that would rotate every cycle. 
 

That's sorta the ideal I have. Someone I spoke with leads me to be believe Lake Region wouldn't be interested.  Tenoroc on the other hand might. IDK?  I look at how the SEC does there scheduling; play your division,  3 from the other and 3 whoever out of conference.  Then a conference championship game.  I don't see why we couldn't have a 12 game regular season.  I'd like to convince a group of schools in another part of the state to do the same. Then our champ plays their champ. 

[nolebull813]

9 hours ago, Hwy17 said:

That's sorta the ideal I have. Someone I spoke with leads me to be believe Lake Region wouldn't be interested.  Tenoroc on the other hand might. IDK?  I look at how the SEC does there scheduling; play your division,  3 from the other and 3 whoever out of conference.  Then a conference championship game.  I don't see why we couldn't have a 12 game regular season.  I'd like to convince a group of schools in another part of the state to do the same. Then our champ plays their champ. 

The most realistic area would be Miami-Dade because they already have it. They have an independent conference. Most of the schools are over 2,000 I believe but they are not football schools.

10 teams (Greater Miami South Conference)

Coral Reef

Mourning 

Hialeah Gardens 

Reagan 

Sunset 

Ferguson

Varela 

Braddock 

HML

Coral Park 

[Hwy17]

6 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

The most realistic area would be Miami-Dade because they already have it. They have an independent conference. Most of the schools are over 2,000 I believe but they are not football schools.

10 teams (Greater Miami South Conference)

Coral Reef

Mourning 

Hialeah Gardens 

Reagan 

Sunset 

Ferguson

Varela 

Braddock 

HML

Coral Park 

That could be a start! Ultimately I'd like to see more conferences form and match-ups between similar but I suppose it doesn't matter.  I also would like to see a team with a winning season but say was 3rd place,  play another team with a winning record in a bowl, not a playoff with 1-9 teams.

[nolebull813]

Heartland Champ vs GMSC champ 

I like it 

[nolebull813]

Orlando had an independent conference as well. 
 

Windermere

University 

Colonial  

East River

Cypress Creek  

Lake Buena Vista 

Oak Ridge 

Innovation 

 

This was the Orlando Independent Conference 

[Hwy17]

16 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

Heartland Champ vs GMSC champ 

I like it 

 

16 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

Orlando had an independent conference as well. 
 

Windermere

University 

Colonial  

East River

Cypress Creek  

Lake Buena Vista 

Oak Ridge 

Innovation 

 

This was the Orlando Independent Conference 

See that Orlando Conference vs the Miami Conference would be more ideal.  However I doubt any of the Heartland schools would be opposed to playing either.  And we have to start somewhere.  Ideally I would hope to see some of the small town schools in Central/ North Florida form a league because of similarities in tradition, fan base, ect. 

Something I'd like to point out: Hardee, Desoto,  and Okeechobee might have larger enrollment numbers but we also have a large migrant population that inflates those numbers.  If you look at our roster size, usually we only have 35-40 on the team, similar to a lot of 1A schools. 

[Dr. D]

What has flown largely under the radar is this year's FHSAA's Rural Florida Invitational Tournament, in which any Rural team that did not qualify for the playoffs was "invited" to participate in their own tournament.  Fort Meade beat Dixie County for the first RFIT championship.  Interestingly, this season was the first year of a two-year trial.  More info is in Josh's article here: https://floridahsfootball.com/2024/08/01/2024-storylines-to-follow-rural-classification-taking-on-new-playoff-format-in-test/

I would not be surprised at all if the FHSAA extends this format to all classifications in 2026 to create a more "inclusive" set of opportunities for all teams, "got a team -- you're in the playoffs, regardless of record".  Maybe the FHSAA is responding to the very threat which you discussed in this thread - teams withdrawing from the FHSAA.  Not to mention more games = more $$$.  Then Florida can lay claim to 16 "state" champions.   

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

Dr. D your right, I forgot all about that while I read through this thread. Going to be crazy if that passes. I think the bottom tier teams in the upper classes will be all in. Gives the cellar dwellers a chance to hang a banner.

[Hwy17]

1 hour ago, Dr. D said:

What has flown largely under the radar is this year's FHSAA's Rural Florida Invitational Tournament, in which any Rural team that did not qualify for the playoffs was "invited" to participate in their own tournament.  Fort Meade beat Dixie County for the first RFIT championship.  Interestingly, this season was the first year of a two-year trial.  More info is in Josh's article here: https://floridahsfootball.com/2024/08/01/2024-storylines-to-follow-rural-classification-taking-on-new-playoff-format-in-test/

I would not be surprised at all if the FHSAA extends this format to all classifications in 2026 to create a more "inclusive" set of opportunities for all teams, "got a team -- you're in the playoffs, regardless of record".  Maybe the FHSAA is responding to the very threat which you discussed in this thread - teams withdrawing from the FHSAA.  Not to mention more games = more $$$.  Then Florida can lay claim to 16 "state" champions.   

That's a no thank you from me.

I would much rather have a longer regular season (12 games) so good players can get noticed even if on a bad team, and a short post season/bowl that matches like to like and deserving to be there. Especially if the goal is to just have more games.  Instead of watching a 5-5 Lake Placid get slaughtered by Cocoa,  I'd rather see Lake Placid play another 5-5 or 6-4 team in a bowl. Better yet, Tavares was 7-3 but didn't make the playoffs.  Image if the had a chance to play an 8-2 Labelle.  Just my thoughts on the subject. 

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

14 minutes ago, Hwy17 said:

That's a no thank you from me.

 Instead of watching a 5-5 Lake Placid get slaughtered by Cocoa,  I'd rather see Lake Placid play another 5-5 or 6-4 team in a bowl. 

Thats actually what your going to get with this new D team playoffs. Anywhere from one to five more games for the athletes to get the opportunity to get noticed by colleges. You might have to get through a 2-8 team in the first round but then you will have a few more rounds against opponents with the same record and ability. We all know why this will pass and be around for a while....FHSAA wants the $.

[Hwy17]

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

Thats actually what your going to get with this new D team playoffs. Anywhere from one to five more games for the athletes to get the opportunity to get noticed by colleges. You might have to get through a 2-8 team in the first round but then you will have a few more rounds against opponents with the same record and ability. We all know why this will pass and be around for a while....FHSAA wants the $.

That's what I take issue with.  At 2-8, the season should be over. Post season is supposed to be an award, not a gimmick. 

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

24 minutes ago, Hwy17 said:

That's what I take issue with.  At 2-8, the season should be over. Post season is supposed to be an award, not a gimmick. 

Yeah but like you said an extra game or two gets a good player on a bad team a chance to get noticed.

[Dr. D]

28 minutes ago, Hwy17 said:

That's what I take issue with.  At 2-8, the season should be over. Post season is supposed to be an award, not a gimmick. 

Tell that to Fort Meade.  2-7 regular season, and then win 4 straight to claim the championship.  I'm sure the players, school, and community are proud of their accomplishment.  And memories for a lifetime.  Although I realize that may not be a popular stance, but I'd err on the side of the kids.