Michigan High School Athletic Association - Promoting Educational Athletics
Michigan High School Athletic Association - Promoting Educational Athletics |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 6, 2009 2009-10 School Year Classifications Announced EAST LANSING, Mich. –April 6 – Classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association elections and post-season tournaments in traditionally classified sports (A, B, C, D) for the 2009-10 school year have been announced, as well as the enrollment breaks for post-season tournaments set up by divisions. Classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was February 11. The enrollment figure submitted for athletic classification purposes may be different from the count submitted for school aid purposes, as it does not include students ineligible for athletic competition because they reached their 19th birthday prior to Sept. 1 of the current school year and will not include alternative education students if none are allowed athletic eligibility by the local school district. After all the counts are submitted, the 768 tournament-qualified member schools were ranked according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2008-09, there are 192 schools in each of the four classes, A through D. Effective with the 2008-09 school year, schools with 987 or more students are in Class A in MHSAA competition. The enrollment limits for Class B are 488 to 986; Class C is 224 to 487; and schools with enrollments of 223 and under are Class D. The breaks decreased 30 students between Classes A and B; and 10 students between Classes B and C, and between Classes C and D. The new classification breaks will see 28 schools move up in class for 2008-09, while 17 schools will move down. Schools were recently notified of their classification. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts said that schools may not subsequently lower their enrollment figure. However, if revised enrollment figures should be higher and indicate that a school should be playing in a higher class, that school would be moved up. Schools have the option to play at any higher classification for a minimum of two years, but must exercise the option by April 15 for fall sports, August 15 for winter sports, and October 15 for spring sports. MHSAA tournament sports conducted in traditional classifications for 2009-10 are Basketball and Girls Volleyball. Football will use traditional classifications to determine playoff points. Sports which will compete in nearly equal divisions are: Baseball, Bowling, Girls Competitive Cheer, Lower Peninsula Cross Country, Lower Peninsula Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Skiing, Softball, Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving, Lower Peninsula Tennis, Lower Peninsula Track and Field, and Wrestling. Lower Peninsula Soccer will have 20 percent of sponsoring schools in Division 4 and the remaining schools divided equally into Divisions 1, 2 and 3. Visit the respective sports pages on the MHSAA Website to review the divisional alignments. The eight divisions of the MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced on Selection Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. A complete list of school enrollments used to determine classifications for the 2009-10 school year can be found on the Administrators page of the MHSAA Website. Here is a complete list of the schools changing classification for 2009-10 (Note: This list does not include schools opting up in class/division for tournaments, which can be found on the Administrators page of the MHSAA Website): Moving Up From Class B To Class A Moving Down From Class A To Class B Moving Up From Class C To Class B Moving Down From Class B To Class C Moving Up From Class D To Class C Moving Down From Class C To Class D New Post-Season Eligible Tournament Schools in 2009-10 Enrollment Breaks By Classes – 2009-10 The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,600 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year. -0- Farm Bureau Insurance and MEEMIC Insurance are year-round MHSAA Corporate Partners |