UIL approves changes to playoff format

UIL approves changes to playoff format News Staff Tue, 06/25/2024 - 4:52 pm The Lady Bucks met Holliday this year in the volleyball bi-district playoff. Volleyball is one of five sports that will experience changes to its playoff structure this year. File photo By Mike Williams news@breckenridgeamerican.com The playoff structures for multiple UIL sports will experience changes this year. The UIL recently approved playoff classifications for five sports to mirror football. A proposal to restructure the playoffs for baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball and softball was approved this month during the June meeting of the UIL Legislative Council.  These changes will create split divisions in the playoffs for Class 2A-6A in baseball, softball and volleyball; 4A-6A in soccer and 1A-6A in basketball. If approved by the commissioner of education, the change will become official Thursday, Aug. 1. When the seasons begin for these sports, the schools will remain in their assigned districts as determined by the 2024-2026 UIL Reclassification and Realignment announced earlier this year. When the playoffs begin for each sport, the classes will be split into two divisions similar to the structure for football. Both divisions will play for separate state championships. These changes were made to create more equal competition by reducing the gap in enrollment in competing schools. As the playoffs begin for each sport, each district will still send the top four teams to the playoffs. The two advancing teams from each district with the largest enrollment will be bracketed into Division I. The remaining two teams will go into Division II. The playoff structure for 1A schools will remain the same in volleyball, softball and baseball. This was the only rule passed by the standing committee on athletics. The committee voted to authorize a study on a proposal to add a shot clock in basketball. It also authorized staff to monitor a proposal regarding a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches summer showcase pilot program and a proposal to add lacrosse as a sanctioned activity. The committee denied, rejected or took no action on 15 proposals. Some of these proposals included placing mileage limitations on football first round playoff games, allowing part-time employees to be a head coach of a team sport, allowing college students to volunteer coach, changing the run rule in softball, altering junior high cross country meet times and adding five new sports as sanctioned activities. Sports