WPIAL SPORTS SECTION & PLAYOFF STRUCTURE UNVEILED

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 | 3:55 PM

While WPIAL admiinistrators, coaches, players and fans will have to wait until Monday, February 15th for the new WPIAL Six Classification alignments to be announced, the structure of the sections and the playoff format were released on Wednesday. WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said after investigating what course the WPIAL should take after the PIAA expanded classifications in several sports last fall, the district will follow suit and follow the classes set forth by the state expansion.

One of the hot topics since the expansion has been what will the WPIAL do with it’s football championships knowing there was no way they could play six title games at Heinz Field nor could they secure the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers for more than one day. That was answered Wednesday when the WPIAL announced they would play four of the championship games, 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A on Friday, November 18th at Heinz Field. The 2-A and 1-A championship games will be the following week at a site to be determined.

Speaking of Football, here is the breakdown for for conferences in each of the six classifications:

6-A will have 14 football teams. There will be two conferences with seven teams each. Each team will play 6 conference games and 3 non-conference games. The top four teams in each conference will qualify for the 8-team playoff.

5-A will have 18 football teams. There will be two conferences with nine teams each. Each team will play 8 conference games and 1 non-conference game. The top four teams in each conference will qualify for the 8-team playoff.

4-A will have 18 football teams. There will be two conferences with nine teams each. Each team will play 8 conference games and 1 non-conference game. The top four teams in each conference will qualify for the 8-team playoff.

3-A will have 23 football teams. There will be three conferences with seven, eight and eight teams each. The 7-team conference will have six conference games and 3 non-conference games. The two 8-team conferences will play 7 conference games and 2 non-conference games. The top two teams in each conference PLUS two wild card teams will qualify for the 8-team playoff.

2-A will have 24 football teams. There will be three conferences with eight teams each. Each team will play 7 conference games and 2 non-conference games. The top five teams in each conference PLUS one wild card will qualify for the 16-team playoff.

1-A will have 25 football teams. There will be three conferences with eight, eight and nine teams each. The 9-team conference will have 8 conference games and one non-conference game. the two 8-team conferences will play 7 conference games and 2 non-conference games. The top five teams in each conference PLUS one wild card will qualify for the 16-team playoff.

While the championship venues for other sports are still be working on, here is the set-up for those other sports affected by classification expansion:

Boys Basketball:

6-A will have 22 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of eight teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

5-A will have 20 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

4-A will have 23 teams. There will be two sections with eight teams each and one section of seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

3-A will have 25 teams. There will be three sections with six teams each and one section of seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

2-A will have 22 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of eight teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

1-A will have 19 teams. There will be two sections with six teams each and one section of seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

Girls Basketball:

6-A will have 18 teams. There will be three sections with six teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

5-A will have 26 teams. There will be two sections with six teams each and two sections of seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

4-A will have 22 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of eight teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

3-A will have 21 teams. There will be three sections with seven teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

2-A will have 24 teams. There will be three sections with eight teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

1-A will have 17 teams. There will be two sections with six teams each and one section of five teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

Baseball:

6-A will have 19 teams. There will be two sections with six teams each and one section of seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

5-A will have 22 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of eight teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

4-A will have 24 teams. There will be three sections with eight teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

3-A will have 20 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

2-A will have 24 teams. There will be three sections with eight teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

1-A will have 21 teams. There will be three sections with seven teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

Softball:

6-A will have 19 teams. There will be two sections with six teams each and one section of seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

5-A will have 22 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section of eight teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

4-A will have 20 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and one section with six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

3-A will have 18 teams. There will be three sections with six teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

2-A will have 26 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and two sections with six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

1-A will have 21 teams. There will be three sections with seven teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

Boys Soccer (expanding to four classifications):

4-A will have 26 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and two sections with six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

3-A will have 25 teams. There will be three sections with six teams each and one section with seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

2-A will have 27 teams. There will be three sections with seven teams each and one section with six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

1-A will have 30 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and two sections with eight teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

Girls Soccer (expanding to four classifications):

4-A will have 24 teams. There will be four sections with six teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

3-A will have 30 teams. There will be two sections with eight teams each and two sections with seven teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

2-A will have 21 teams. There will be three sections with seven teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 12-team playoff.

1-A will have 26 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and two sections with six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

Girls Volleyball (expanding to four classifications):

4-A will have 26 teams. There will be two sections with seven teams each and two sections with six teams. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

3-A will have 28 teams. There will be four sections with seven teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.

2-A will have 35 teams. There will be five sections with seven teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 20-team playoff.

1-A will have 32 teams. There will be four sections with eight teams each. The top four teams in each conference plus unbroken ties qualify for at least a 16-team playoff.