6A football proposal shot down at Legislative Council
AURORA — The proposal to add an eighth classification — Class 6A — to football was shot down at CHSAA’s Legislative Council meeting on Thursday.
The measure, which was brought forward by the Union Pacific League, sought to change the enrollment cutoff splits used by football. In the process, it would have also added 6A.
Because it amended the Classification and League Organizing Committee’s report which was passed in January, the proposal required two-thirds of the Legislative Council to approve it. However, it only got 23 percent approval, with 54 members voting against it, and just 16 voting for it.
In fact, the Legislative Council was so against the proposal that it nearly didn’t even open the CLOC report to consider it. That vote, which needed a simple majority, narrowly passed with 58 percent.
“We would encourage you to vote no on this proposal,” football committee chair Mike Krueger said before the vote on Thursday. “There are a lot of intended consequences from this proposal that are very good. But at the same time, when you have a proposal that affects all classifications, there are many unintended consequences at the other end, and we need to evaluate that.
“The other thing is, we would like to (move to 6A) as an entire body,” Krueger added .”Right now, football already has additional classifications that the other sports don’t.”
Added Cherry Creek athletic director Jason Wilkins: “We need to look at (adding 6A) more in-depth.”
The football committee met on Tuesday at the CHSAA office, and didn’t support the proposal, which wanted to create 6A in 2016.
“It has some good ideas, but there’s a lot of discussion that needs to take place,” Krueger said then. “The unintended consequences and ramifications of the proposal could be far-reaching, and we need time to explore them. That is why you have a committee.”
This isn’t to say that the sport won’t eventually add another classification. In fact, that seems likely to happen in the near future. It may be as soon as 2018 — and it will likely be a plan which is formulated by the football committee, after the Classification and League Organizing Committee decides to move to 6A in all sports.
CHSAA last had a Class 6A in 1994, with football’s last 6A title game coming in 1993.
