Here's what some Big Country coaches had to say on UIL playoff format change

The University Interscholastic League made a major change to the playoff format for high school sports other than football on Tuesday, and the response from Abilene and Big Country coaches has been positive.

In a move that was widely expected, the UIL’s Legislative Council approved a split division format similar to Class 6A football with basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball and soccer, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.

The move has been anticipated for nearly a year, and finally on Tuesday it was approved as teams in those sports will now compete for 11 or 12 state championships, depending on the sport, instead of six.

“Personally I think it’s long overdue,” Abilene High baseball coach Brad Harman said. “Baseball and basketball, softball, volleyball, there’s not a difference in those sports and football when you are talking about creating competitive equity. This is a huge step by the UIL to do that.”

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How the playoff format will work

Teams will remain in the district created during the 2024 realignment cycle and four teams will qualify. Instead of all four teams from a district going into the same bracket, the two largest enrollment teams will go into a Division I bracket and the two smaller enrollment squads will go into a Division II bracket. Enrollments will be based on what was submitted by schools in October of 2023.

The format has been used in Class 6A football for several years, and was used a number of years ago in smaller classifications in football before it was split during realignment.

The format will affect Class 1A through 6A in basketball, classes 2A through 6A in baseball, softball and volleyball, and Class 4A through 6A in soccer. There will be one less round of the playoffs, and it is likely that only state championships will be played at the same venue.

In Class 1A volleyball, the format will remain the same with three teams qualifying for the playoffs from each district playing for one state championship. In Class 1A softball and baseball, the format also stays the same with two teams qualifying and playing for one state title.

“We will have to experiment with it and see how it works,” said Hawley baseball coach Jamie Seago, who led his squad to the Class 2A state baseball championship game last week in Round Rock. “I know for us personally as far as Hawley from a baseball standpoint we are going to be the biggest team in our district for the most part.”

What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Along with crowning more state championships, it does allow teams to play against squads with similar enrollments much like in football.

“It’s just the opportunity to play against schools that are your size,” Abilene ISD Athletic Director James Garfield said. “You have a fighting chance to advance each round. You’ve still got to take care of business but there’s a little bit better opportunity for our athletes.”

It does, though, eliminate the need for regional tournaments in basketball and soccer. The tournaments have been a long-standing tradition in the two sports, and in some cases can draw crowds to venues in different areas of the state. Those venues were bid on by sites for a chance to host them.

Cooper High School basketball coach Michael Bacon said he is “indifferent on the regional tournament” but added, “I never thought it was right in the best interest of competition in some regional tournaments you play our semifinal game at 8 p.m. and then a regional final at 1 p.m. In that regard this is a lot better.”

Looking ahead

Coaches had been anticipating the move for more than a year as they had heard it discussed in multiple sports and some coaches had been asking for the revision for a number of years. Now that it is here and will take affect when volleyball opens its practices in August, coaches are ready for the change.

“You know, I’m selfish as somebody that’s at a smaller 5A school, I like it,” Bacon said. “It levels the playing field across classifications.”