(Brent Murphy/brentmurphyphoto.com)

The 2020 cross country regional fields will be determined, in part, by a coaches poll within each region.

The official vote will be held this coming weekend. The coaches held a trial vote last weekend, and the results of that vote is below.

[divider]

[cbtabs][cbtab title=”Class 2A”]

[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Class 3A”]

[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Class 4A”]

[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Class 5A”]

[/cbtab][/cbtabs]

The CHSAA Legislative Council met virtually for the first time in its 99-year history on Friday.

They voted on more than 50 items, and made a number of changes to the Association’s bylaws, which impacted things from alignment to the transfer rule. We have rounded up most of those changes here.

[divider]

Two classes of hockey

(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

Hockey will split into two classifications, beginning with the 2020-21 season.

The two-class split, which was recommended by the hockey committee during its meeting in February, places 20 teams into Class 5A, and 17 in 4A. The committee used a variety of factors to place teams from bylaw 1500.21, including enrollment, geography, competitive history, competitive balance, participation rate, and the entry or selection process that places an athlete at a program.

The committee recognized the need for two classes because there isn’t much, if any, parity in the sport. Over the past four years, only 14 different schools have advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Hockey currently has 37 teams.

The alignments for the sport can be found in this story from February.

Hockey will use the CHSAA Seeding Index to seed its two state tournaments: RPI, MaxPreps, and the CHSAANow coaches poll.

[divider]

New seeding criteria for 5A basketball

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

An amendment during the meeting changed the seeding criteria that 4A and 5A basketball will use for their state tournaments: The two classes will now use a combination of the RPI standings, MaxPreps rankings and the CHSAANow coaches pool — bringing them in line with what a number of other sports are now using.

1A will also use the same criteria, but will also use the Packard Ratings.

[divider]

2A baseball changes postseason

(Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

The 2A baseball postseason will now mirror what is done in 3A, 4A and 5A, with a 32-team regional bracket. All teams will qualify for the bracket via the RPI standings, and seeded by RPI. The top eight seeds will host regionals, and seeds Nos. 20-32 can be moved for geographic reasons.

The state tournament also got an overhaul, and will move to an eight-team single-elimination bracket. Previously, 2A had a 16-team bracket.

With this change, 2A schools can now schedule 23 games.

Baseball also created a game minimum to be able to qualify for the postseason: 12 games in 1A, 17 in 2A and 3A, 19 in 4A and 5A.

[divider]

New field hockey tournament

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

In an effort to help the growth of the sport, the state field hockey tournament will expand from eight teams to 12.

The top six seeds will receive a bye while the next six will compete in a play-in bracket.

In one of those brackets, No. 9 and No. 12 will play, with the winner playing No. 8. The winner of that game will face No. 1.

In the other bracket, No. 10 and No. 11 will play, with the winner facing No. 7. The winner of that game will face the No. 2 overall seed.

During that same round, the No. 4 and No. 5 seed will play, with No. 3 and No. 6 also playing.

[divider]

The transfer rule

A number of proposals involved the transfer rule. Among the changes which passed:

• An adjustment to clarify that a student doesn’t have to transfer from a member school, in or out of state, in order for the rule to apply.
• A proposal better explained the transfer consequence for transferring to another school, and a return to the original school — also known as an A-B-A transfer. Specifically, a student who transfers from School A, transfers to School B and plays at School B, and the returns to School A, will only be eligible for sub-varsity competition at School A in the sports they participated in at School B for 365 days.
• A new bylaw passed allowing for students to participate with “restricted varsity eligibility during the regular season” if their high school does not offer a JV team, or if their school doesn’t allow seniors to play on sub-varsity teams.
• The definition of a hardship was rewritten to read: “‘Hardship’ means a situation, condition or event which must impost a severe non-athletic burden upon the student or his/her family and require a transfer of schools. This does not include the personal or initial choice of enrollment and/or participation.”

[divider]

Notables:

• The alignments for sports were finalized with the approval of each sports report. Those new alignments will be posted in the near future.
• The season of sport was changed in boys swimming, allowing for those championships to be moved up a week and have their own spotlight.
• 6-man and 8-man football will use the same four data points of seeding that was used in 1A-5A this season.
• In 5A football, all playoff games will be hosted by the higher seed.
• 1A girls volleyball will move from districts to regionals. The sport will also require that all teams play a minimum of 18 matches against member schools and varsity opponents in order to qualify for the postseason.
• Boys volleyball will have one classification during its inaugural season in spring 2021.
• Girls wrestling will use the same weight classes that were used in the pilot season.
• The 4A and 5A boys lacrosse state tournaments will each grow from 16 to 24 teams starting in spring 2021.
• The new format that will be used for a two-classification setup in girls lacrosse was approved. Find the structure for that format here.
• 2A soccer will increase its state tournament field from 12 teams to 16.
• The regional field in 3A softball will grow to 32 teams, bringing it in line with 4A and 5A.
• The requirements for qualifying for the state skiing championships were made more strict, to make the state field slightly smaller.
• The state spirit championships will move to a three-day format beginning this year. Schools will only be able to participate in one cheer category and one dance category at the state championships. Cheer and dance are now considered separate sports.
• Schools will be eligible to join CHSAA as activity-only schools, and not offer sports.
• The process for classifying programs was clarified with an amendment to bylaw 1510, which deals with the Classification, Appeals and League Organizing Committee (CLOC). Now, the CHSAA staff can offer adjustments “in extraordinary circumstances” that are based upon bylaw 1500.21 (the bylaw allowing for classification based upon factors other than enrollment) in even years. These adjustments will need to be voted on by CLOC. Typically in even years, the classifications are already set and ready to go for the following cycle, so there would be very few adjustments, if any.
• The amateur status bylaw was reworked, and now reads that student-athletes “must maintain his/her amateur status” and notes that they “may not sign a professional athletic contract.” A new note defines a professional as “being paid in any form for playing in an athletic contest, or if you sign a contract or verbally commit with an agent or professional sports organization.” Notably, student-athletes will be allowed to play with or against professionals in certain situations, such as in the Olympics or a World Cup.
• The coach ejection bylaw was updated to give it a more consistent level of suspension across all sports. Now, the first ejection is penalized by a suspension equal to 10% of that sports season, and a second ejection is 20%.
• All-Star games were added to bylaw 2300, allowing for “up to two All-Star Games after the completion of the state championship in that sport.” No all-star games are permitted in football.
• Middle schoolers from “feeder” schools will be permitted to practice with high school teams in volleyball, basketball, soccer and football “when they cannot field enough high school athletes to hold an intra-squad practice in game-type conditions.” There are a number of limitations guiding this new bylaw.
• The number of practices required for students to participate in prior to competition in contact sports was reduced from five to three in all sports but football, which will still require nine.
• Schools can now form a team with only one participant, if they choose to.
• Adding a new sport or activity will now require approval from the Budget Committee in addition to CLOC, Sports Medicine, Equity and the Board of Directors.
• The full membership of the following schools is now official: DSST – Byers, KIPP Northeast, Loveland Classical, Strive Prep – Rise, Strive Prep – Smart, and Thomas MacLaren. KIPP Northeast and Strive Prep – Rise play together are a co-op: Regis Groff.
• Officials’ fees increased with a 2% cost of living adjustment across the board, for all levels.
• The alignment of State Festival and State Tournament will now be permanent in speech.
• Student Leadership’s fall conference will move to a regional model beginning this year.

ENGLEWOOD — Pace Billings scored the lone goal as No. 2 Kent Denver beat No. 15 Strive Prep – Smart in the second round of the Class 3A boys soccer state tournament.

[divider]

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”1393″ display=”pro_mosaic”]

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — Football’s calendar will align with the national setup, allowing for more consistency with surrounding states, and flexibility within the state’s current format.

Additionally, volleyball is heading to a bracket format, there will be a new process for adding a new sport, teams will be allowed to play an exhibition game to raise money for their program, and baseball’s move to a 23-game regular season in 3A, 4A and 5A was approved.

Those were among changes made by the CHSAA Legislative Council during the first of their two annual meetings on Thursday.

[divider]

Football changes

(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)

For the immediate 2018 season, football’s changes means that the start of practice will move up by a week, and begin on Aug. 6. Additionally, this change will build in a bye week for classes 4A through 6-man, and allow for 5A to move to a 24-team playoff — something that was also approved on Thursday.

The lead up to full contact will be as follows: two days in helmets, two days of full pads with limited contact, and one day of full pads and full contact. Scrimmages will be allowed on Aug. 16, with the first regular season games allowed on Aug. 23.

No longer will the first week of competition be known as Zero Week — the former scrimmage/contest hybrid week. Instead, it’ll simply be Week 1.

Because the existing approved dates of the postseason remain in place, it leaves a bye week during the regular season for 6-man through 4A, and a bye week for the top eight seeds in the 5A football playoffs while seeds Nos. 9-24 play in the first round.

Elsewhere in football:

• 2A and 3A will play their championship games at a neutral site.
• The proposed league alignments were all approved and are now final.
• As noted above, 5A is moving from a 16-team playoff to a 24-team playoff.

[divider]

Volleyball bracket

(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

All five classes of the state volleyball tournament, held annually at the Denver Coliseum, will change from pool play to a bracket starting this fall.

The bracket format will be a 12-team Olympic crossover, meaning it will be double-elimination up until the semifinals, where the tournament will change to a single-elimination.

“We are really excited to be moving in this direction,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens said following the volleyball committee meeting last November.

[divider]

New process for adding activities and sports

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The process for adding a new sport or activity — something that was in the spotlight last January with boys volleyball — has been overhauled.

Now, the process will be as follows:

• The Board of Directors must approve the new activity for a piloting process, while taking into account things like “longevity and history of the activity, support from the activity’s governing body, ability to host a coach’s clinic on skills and safety (sports only),” and “adequate number of officials (sports only).” The pilot program must last at least one year. New activities can ask for a pilot program from the Board at any point.
• The new activity must have support from the Classification and League Organizing Committee, the Sports Medicine Committee, the Equity Committee, the and Board of Directors before the Legislative Council can vote on it.

The new bylaw additions also outlines step-by-step what each new activity should be doing, and when.

It seems likely that boys volleyball and girls wrestling will approach the Board to begin the piloting process. Both sports have expressed interest.

[divider]

Foundation Showcase creates exhibitions to raise money

A new bylaw which allows teams to participate in a “Foundation Benefit Contest” beyond the game limits was approved.

This will allow schools the opportunity to schedule exhibition games where they charge admission, keep score and raise money for their programs or a cause.

These games will not have any impact on postseason/playoff considerations.

[divider]

Elsewhere:

• Here’s a full breakdown of baseball’s increase to 23 games in 5A, 4A and 3A.
• The Technology Committee gave a report on their recommendation with the RPI.
• Seven new schools were approved for initial membership: DSST-Byers, KIPP Northeast, Loveland Classical, Riverdale Ridge, Strive Prep Rise, Strive Prep Smart, Thomas MacLaren. This gives CHSAA 358 member schools.
• Stargate, Golden View Academy and Victory Prep Academy were approved as full members.
• The cross country proposal to score four of the six runners at the 2A state meet was amended, so 2A will remain with three scoring runners.
• Field hockey officially changed its OT procedure for the playoffs. Now, games will play 11 on 11 in the first OT. If still tied, they will play 7 on 7 in a second OT. If the game remains tied, they will go to a shootout.
• 3A girls soccer’s postseason field will expand from 24 to 32 teams in 2019.
• New CHSAA Board members to start in 2018-19: Luke DeWolfe, Steamboat Springs; Chase McBride, Niwot; Obafemi Alao, DSST-Green Valley Ranch; Don Steiner, Evangelical Christian.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — The Classification and League Organizing Committee met Tuesday, and chief among their decisions was setting enrollment splits for the 2018-20 two-year cycle.

Those enrollment cutoffs are listed below, save for football, which has its classifications set by the football committee. Those splits will be posted within the next 10 days. This information is also available on this page.

A breakdown of each school’s reported Oct. 2017 enrollment, which is used to place programs into classifications, is available here.

[divider]

Enrollment cutoffs

[divider]

Re-classification of schools

Three schools asked to reclassify according to bylaw 1500.21, which allows schools to move down a class if they meet a number of factors, such as socio-economics, geography, competitive history and enrollment trend.

• Greeley Central was approved to reclassify. This means their team sports will compete in 4A, and representatives of the school said it was their intention to play up to 4A in sports, such as wrestling, where the reclassification would put them in 3A.
• Montezuma-Cortez’s reclassification from 4A to 3A was also approved. Likewise, school reps said they would commit to playing up to 3A in any sports where the reclassification would put them in 2A.
• Skyline’s reclassification from 5A to 4A was approved.

[divider]

Program playdowns

The following schools had their program playdown requests approved. These programs will not be eligible to compete in the postseason, per bylaw 1500.27.

• Arvada football from 3A to 2A.
• Boulder softball from 5A to 4A.
• Calhan football from 1A to 8-man.
• Cripple-Creek Victor from 8-man to 6-man.
• Dolores Huerta from 1A to 8-man.
• Jefferson from 2A to 1A.
• Loveland boys and girls soccer from 5A to 4A.
• Mead boys soccer from 4A to 3A.
• Pinnacle football from 2A to 1A.
• Rangeview boys lacrosse from 5A to 4A.

[divider]

New schools approved as members

The committee approved seven new schools for initial probationary membership into CHSAA. They are:

• Denver School of Science & Tech – Byers, which is in Denver’s Wash Park neighborhood.
• KIPP Northeast, located in northeast Denver.
• Loveland Classical School, in Loveland.
• Riverdale Ridge, in Brighton.
• Strive Prep Rise, in northeast Denver.
• Strive Prep Smart, in southwest Denver.
• Thomas MacLaren, in Colorado Springs.

KIPP Northeast and Strive Prep Rise are housed in the same building and are planning to co-op, so they will play 4A. DSST-Byers, Riverdale Ridge and Strive Prep Smart will likely be 3A. Loveland Classical and Thomas MacLaren will likely be 2A,

Riverdale Ridge will most likely play 2A football, as well.

Another school, Windsor Charter, was not accepted because the CLOC members felt the school was not yet ready to become a member for a variety of reasons.

With these new schools, CHSAA will have 361 member schools in 2018-19.

[divider]

Stargate School granted full membership

One new school has joined CHSAA as a full member, moving off probationary status: Stargate School, which is located in Thornton.

Three others up for review for full membership were left on probationary status:

• DSST-College View was left on because it has had multiple CHSAA violations dealing with eligibility.
• Golden View Classical Academy and Victory Prep Academy were both left on probationary status because no one from the school attended the CLOC meeting.