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Anyone out there care to discuss section assignments? Obviously its based on geography as much as possible. I know they revise these periodically. Is there insight as to how that is determined, and how often a review of section assignments takes place? I'm curious if competitiveness is a factor. For example will the powers-that-be ever decide that section 6AA is too crowded with top-end teams and dump one or two into 1AA?

Sections are realigned every two years. We just finished the first year with the current sections. The only changes for next year will be for any new programs (not aware of any), folding programs (North Metro), or newly paired programs where a change in section is necessary (not aware of any).

In October, the league will take the enrollment figures from the MN Department of Education and reset all the programs. The top 64 programs by enrollment will be AA. Then they will add any programs that choose to opt up, and then they will make eight sections of AA and eight sections of A, based on geography. They do this for all sports, and the results are usually announced around the time of the boys hockey tournament.

The final steps in the process occur within minutes of when the new sections are announced. That is when this board will be filled with people who:

a-are upset about how their school got the shaft and is put in with a state power that they had not previously been with;

and

b-think it is a good use of their time to complain about the relative weakness of Section 3A or Section 1AA.

hockeydad wrote:In October, the league will take the enrollment figures from the MN Department of Education and reset all the programs. The top 64 programs by enrollment will be AA. Then they will add any programs that choose to opt up, and then they will make eight sections of AA and eight sections of A, based on geography. They do this for all sports...

Good post. Where I've highlighted in bold font explains why I choose to ignore all threads here that complain about:

a. private (or talented public) schools being forced to opt up
b. section seeding based on something other than geography for hockey only
c. any other changes to the current system for hockey only

Since 2007 1AA hasn't been the weakest section, it has been which ever one Blaine is in...1AA is 6-9, Blaine/MG 3-11. The last 2 years 1AA (4-2)has been better than 2AA Edina (1-4), 3AA Eagan (3-3), 4AA WBL/HM (3-3), 5AA Blaine/MG (0-4), and 8AA Moorhead (1-4)

Maybe the MSHSL should think about moving a 6AA team there

hockeydad wrote:Sections are realigned every two years. We just finished the first year with the current sections. The only changes for next year will be for any new programs (not aware of any), folding programs (North Metro), or newly paired programs where a change in section is necessary (not aware of any).

In October, the league will take the enrollment figures from the MN Department of Education and reset all the programs. The top 64 programs by enrollment will be AA. Then they will add any programs that choose to opt up, and then they will make eight sections of AA and eight sections of A, based on geography. They do this for all sports, and the results are usually announced around the time of the boys hockey tournament.

The final steps in the process occur within minutes of when the new sections are announced. That is when this board will be filled with people who:

a-are upset about how their school got the shaft and is put in with a state power that they had not previously been with;

and

b-think it is a good use of their time to complain about the relative weakness of Section 3A or Section 1AA.

Thats great information, thanks! Always wondered about this, and your post explains it. Kudos sir

hockeydad wrote:Sections are realigned every two years. We just finished the first year with the current sections. The only changes for next year will be for any new programs (not aware of any), folding programs (North Metro), or newly paired programs where a change in section is necessary (not aware of any).

Can a team that wants to opt up to AA in the second year of the cycle (cough - STA - cough) petition the MSHSL for that change to be made, or are they really stuck?

It would be nice to know whether there's merit to the claim that there's absolutely, positively no way that STA could move up to AA next season, even if everybody in that program (from their JV assistant student manager all the way up to the Archbishop) wanted to make the jump.

I don't think a program can opt up for the second year of a cycle, but I'm not sure. I do know that when a program opts up, they must make a two-year commitment (Up until last year it was a four-year commitment).

almostashappy wrote:

hockeydad wrote:Sections are realigned every two years. We just finished the first year with the current sections. The only changes for next year will be for any new programs (not aware of any), folding programs (North Metro), or newly paired programs where a change in section is necessary (not aware of any).

Can a team that wants to opt up to AA in the second year of the cycle (cough - STA - cough) petition the MSHSL for that change to be made, or are they really stuck?

It would be nice to know whether there's merit to the claim that there's absolutely, positively no way that STA could move up to AA next season, even if everybody in that program (from their JV assistant student manager all the way up to the Archbishop) wanted to make the jump.

Here's the bylaw...my interpretation of line 1.3 is that it isn't possible.

g) Schools may “opt-up” to a higher classification in an activity sponsored by their school according to the following criteria:
1.1 A request must be made in writing to the League Office with the rationale for the “opt-up” request.
1.2 The request to “opt-up” must be a two-year commitment to compete in the new classification.
1.3 Application period will coincide with the competitive placement cycle.

hockeydad wrote:Sections are realigned every two years. We just finished the first year with the current sections. The only changes for next year will be for any new programs (not aware of any), folding programs (North Metro), or newly paired programs where a change in section is necessary (not aware of any).

In October, the league will take the enrollment figures from the MN Department of Education and reset all the programs. The top 64 programs by enrollment will be AA. Then they will add any programs that choose to opt up, and then they will make eight sections of AA and eight sections of A, based on geography. They do this for all sports, and the results are usually announced around the time of the boys hockey tournament.

The final steps in the process occur within minutes of when the new sections are announced. That is when this board will be filled with people who:

a-are upset about how their school got the shaft and is put in with a state power that they had not previously been with;

and

b-think it is a good use of their time to complain about the relative weakness of Section 3A or Section 1AA.

3A really sucks though....