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Changes coming to MHSAA state tournaments in football, basketball and soccer

Posted at 11:50 PM, May 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-08 23:50:17-04

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The MHSAA announced changes to its state tournaments in boys and girls basketball and soccer next school year, and football starting in 2020.

The football playoffs will do away with the six-wins-and-you-are-in format and switch to a predetermined eight divisions, and 32 teams, regardless of record, will make the playoffs.  Points will be determined by opponents' records, and bonus points will be rewarded, win or lose.

"We are in a very competitive league in the OK Black," Jenison head coach Rob Zeitman said. "Hopefully the OK Conference gets together and makes their determination regarding their realignment, and I think we will be in a very competitive league going forward, and I don't know how much of an effect it's going to have on us.  I think it's going to help the administration of the game in terms of scheduling and take some of that pressure away from scheduling tough teams out of their league or out of mandated scheduling situations."

The goal of the new format is to alleviate some of the scheduling problems that have occurred in recent years.

Basketball and soccer will seed the top two teams in districts starting in the 2019-2020 school year.  They will use a Michigan Power Ratings computer formula that is already being used to seed boys lacrosse.