New playoff proposal may need tweaks – Boston Herald

American football ball on background

Several members of the MIAA Football Committee confirmed that they met with the tournament management committee a week ago regarding a new statewide playoff proposal.

How much progress has been made in shaking up the TMC is a matter of opinion.

At Tuesday's regularly scheduled committee meeting, Soccer Commissioner Jay Costa said he felt there was a healthy dialogue during the three-hour meeting, but that he did not want to introduce a new postseason format to the TMC. Some felt it would be a long and uphill climb to convince them. To be successful.

“I don't know if I'm going to fly right now,” Costa said. “Some adjustments may need to be made.”

The architect of the new format is Milton football coach Steve Dembowski. While many feel there are some good points to this proposal, one of the biggest concerns stems from the fact that the season would be extended until mid-December. Understandably, many winter coaches have expressed frustration about the possibility of their season being in jeopardy.

“All we aim to do is provide a fair experience for all teams, not just the (best) programs,” Dembowski said. “I know some people don't like reducing the number of playoff teams (from 16 to eight teams), but currently 33 percent of the teams in the playoffs have a losing record. ”

In other news, attendance for the eight title contests increased despite friction over last December's state championship game being held that week at Gillette Stadium. MIAA Deputy Executive Director Richard Pearson said because the games were spread over three days, teams were able to remain on the field after the game for the championship ceremony. In past years, when five or six championship games were played on a Saturday, teams had to rush off the field and climb into the stands for postgame ceremonies in a narrow section of the stadium. .

There was discussion about teams being able to play nine games this year, as eight games can be played within a nine-week window in the calendar year. Several committee members suggested further consideration for the 2025 season, as the same could happen next year.

Next year's tournament will look different as Scott Payne is stepping down as statewide tournament director. Coach Pearson praised Payne's work in making the postseason go smoothly. He said MIAA will strive to fill the vacancies as soon as possible.