Time for the WPIAL to Fix its Scheduling

As I sit back wishing the Bears the best of luck as they head to Dallas for the Redbull 7 on 7 Tournament, I have to say this will be the best competition the Bears face until the playoffs or possibly even that too. And I have to say that is a problem.

The WPIAL desperately needs a new way of scheduling its schools because locking schools into 8 games with the chance of scheduling who you want for only 1 game really isn't that fair. And the be honest, the only positive I could see is that AD's that are lazy really just gets to schedule one game and then they're done.

I totally understand that the WPIAL loves the current system because its an easy breakdown for their precious 16 team playoffs. I get their philosophy of trying to have 4 Conferences per class.

But what exactly does TJ and Clairton get out of playing the likes of EF and South Park, and Avella and Bentworth, Some of these games between top flight schools against these bottom feeders are blowouts the Thursdays before the games are even played. Schools like Avella, Brownsville, Quaker Valley, and Burgettstown are losing more and more fan and player interest as well. Which is a crying shame because Avella and Brownsville has rich football history's.

I don't have a simple solution to this problem, but maybe we could have 8 Conferences of 4 teams. It still helps the WPIAL figure out its playoff seeding of 8 schools but it only locks schools into 3-4 games of year which would force schools to schedule 5-6 games a year.

Sure you'll have some of the same mismatch's a season but his would allow schools like Avella to play more Tri County South and even Big 7 schools which could give them a chance to possibly win more games. And with that you allow for more Big Time OOC games like a Clairton-TJ or TJ vs Bethel Park. On top of that you give schools more chances to schedule big time OOS games against Florida, Texas, and Ohio Schools. Playing better competition more often gives the WPIAL better chances of winning those big time OOS games and make our schools better in the process.

At the same time I also feel that there are too many schools included in the WPIAL playoffs except for 2A simply because 2A has so many schools in it and is much more competitive than the other class's. In 4A you been having 3-6 schools in the playoffs. And it totally doesn't make sense. With my solution of 8 Conferences of 4 teams that would mean only the 8 Conference champs would make it to the playoffs. Good teams may get left out that way as well, but sometimes life isn't fair.

The WPIAL needs to make changes no doubt, I have a few solutions on the table. Will they happen, I doubt it. The WPIAL likes to make things easier only for themselves. But the level of play in the WPIAL is continuing to drop, and schools aren't having a proper way to better themselves, which is playing better competition more often.