The Advocate and Democrat

Teams will be divided into three classes for the regular season with 16 districts per class – a structure used currently for basketball, baseball, and softball.

However, for the playoffs, as many as six classes will be used, which adds one more class than is currently used.

The number of classes used for the playoffs will depend on the number of teams that go to Division II.

It is still possible only five classes will be used if a larger number of school make the move to Division II.

The number of teams would also change if the six-class system is used.

Classes 3A-6A would still have 32 teams qualify for the playoffs, but 1A and 2A would only see 24 teams qualify.

The top two teams from each district will earn automatic bids to the playoffs for their class.

However, a team outside the top two can earn an automatic bid by being the being the top team in their respective class in the district.

The remaining spots for the playoffs will be filled using wild card bids, using the same formula seen in Class 2A last season.

However, the top two schools in 1A and 2A will receive first-round byes in the playoffs. Classes 3A-6A will the keep current structure for seeding the wild card teams.

Teams were not assigned a class at this meeting. That will be decided at a later meeting using the enrollments numbers from the first 20 days of the fall semester of this school year.

According to projections, Sweetwater and Sequoyah would be placed in District 5-AA, along with McMinn Central, Meigs County, and Polk County.

Sweetwater would play in 3A for the playoffs while Sequoyah would play in 4A.

Tellico Plains would drop to District 5-A with teams such as David Brainerd, Copper Basin, and Grace Baptist.

The Bears would play in 2A should they reach the playoffs.

Teams will play every team in their district, which the TSSAA hopes will make for more natural rivalries.

With only five teams in District 5-AA, Sequoyah and Sweetwater would only play four district games and six non-district games.

Tellico Plains would play five district games and five non-district games.

The three class system with a six class playoff could eventually make its way into basketball, baseball, and softball.

The Board of Control directed the state office to bring back a plan to see if those sports would also need to go to a six-class playoff.

Currently, there are only three classes in those sports for the regular and post season.

The Board of Control also voted that the Spring Fling in Murfreesboro for 2009.

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