Major Football Conference Changes Coming for WPIAL?

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, January 5, 2012 | 12:01 AM

A major change could be forthcoming starting this fall in WPIAL football. Wednesday, the WPIAL football steering committee proposed a football realignment for 2012 and 2013 that would include only three conferences.

Class AAAA will have 26 teams while Class AAA is set with 27 teams for the next two years. Instead of the standard four conferences with seven teams in two and six teams in two for Class AAAA and three conferences of seven and one of six in Class AAA, the committee is proposing two nine-team and one eight-team conference in Class AAAA and three nine-team conferences in Class AAA.

If passed by the WPIAL Board of Control at it's January meeting on the 17th, the new alignment would bring back the 'Wild Card' to the WPIAL football playoff equation. In both Class AAAA and Class AAA, the top five teams from each of the three conference would qualify for the postseason plus one wild card team. The wild card team would be the sixth place finisher with the best record or most gardner points or WPIAL tiebreaker points if needed.

The WPIAL used a wild card to determine the 16th playoff team from 2002 through 2007 in Class AA when that classification had five conferences.

Back in 1998 and 1999, Class AAA had only three conferences, but they still took the top four teams from each conference giving the class a 12-team playoff field. The top four seeds enjoyed a first round bye.

With 35 teams in Class AA and 37 in Class A, if the alignment passes, the WPIAL would schedule all nine weeks of the season with conference games in all four classifications starting on the opening weekend. 

Class AA and Class A will be made of four conferences. In Class AA, three conferences will have 9 teams while one conference has 8 teams while Class A will have three conference with 9 teams and one conference with 10 teams.